To celebrate World Skin Health Day 2021, the Australasian College of Dermatologists, is excited to launch our new campaign and resource hub, Help, helps, to support Australians living with chronic skin, hair and nail conditions.
Help, helps and it’s only a conversation away
As the body’s largest organ, our skin is vitally important to our health and wellbeing. Australians living with chronic skin, hair and nail conditions like eczema, psoriasis, alopecia, acne and vitiligo understand only too well how enormously challenging these conditions can be, both physically and emotionally, changing the way they live their lives.
Finding the best possible treatment and support can make a huge difference.
The Australasian College of Dermatologists celebrated World Skin Health Day 2021 on 14th October, with the launch our new campaign and resource hub, Help, helps which aims to encourage and empower Australians with chronic skin, hair and nail conditions to seek help and to raise broader awareness of the impact of these conditions.
You don’t need to do this alone.
Getting help, helps.
In launching the Help, helps resource hub, we are calling on Australians with skin, hair and nail conditions to:
- Seek help, talk to your dermatologist or GP about how your condition is impacting you.
- Visit the Help, helps resource hub for information on accessing care, preparing for medical appointments and to connect with patient support groups, mental health organisations and other sources of information and support.
- View the Help, help videos and stories on the resource hub to hear from others about their journey of living with chronic skin, hair and nail conditions, how they have adapted and the difference seeking help has made.
Thank you to the many people who have shared their Help, helps stories and messages with us. You can view these on the Help, helps resource hub.
View our World Skin Health Day media release and visit the Help, helps resource hub today to watch the videos and access resources.
“When I had a really bad flare up, I… just stayed at home, cancelled appointments, made excuses.”
“When I was really bad, it was just so continuous, I felt there wasn’t any hope.”
“I actually specifically remember my worst day. It was the realisation that I was losing all my hair.”
Help spread the word
Follow us on social media to have first-hand access to campaign information and resources.
Like and share Help, helps campaign on ACD social media. Use the hashtag #helphelps #worldskinday.
View our campaign toolkit to help spread the message.
It’s not too late to share your Help, helps message
Help, helps aims to encourage and empower the many Australians living with chronic skin, hair and nail conditions to seek help and to raise broader awareness of the impact of these conditions.
Your stories are powerful. Share what has helped you, a friend or family member in living life with a chronic skin, hair or nail condition. What has made a difference?
What support, tools and strategies do you find valuable? Are you part of a support group? Are there things you do to prepare for an appointment with your dermatologist or GP? What other strategies do you use so you can get on with your life?
Tell us about how help and support has helped you and reach out to other people impacted by skin, hair and nail conditions so they know that they don’t need to do this alone.
View the Help, helps messages on the Help, helps resource hub.
Sharing your story is simple
Write your Help, helps advice on an A4 or A3 sheet of paper. Take a photo and email it to helphelps@dermcoll.edu.au.
Your photo will be used as part of a photo montage on our Help, helps resource hub webpage and social media.
*By submitting your photo(s) you consent to us using, editing and publishing them (which may contain your image or that of your family and friends) in any of our publications and materials (including written, electronic or multimedia materials) for distribution anywhere in the world.
What is World Skin Health Day?
World Skin Health Day is a joint project of International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) and the International Society of Dermatology (ISD) and aims to recognise and promote skin health around the world.
Each year since 2018, the Australasian College of Dermatologists has run a campaign showcase the diversity of skin diseases in Australia, highlight the psychosocial impacts of living with skin, hair and nail conditions and call for investment to ensure all Australians with skin, hair and nail conditions can access the timely, appropriate care they need.
People with chronic skin, hair and nail conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, alopecia, acne and vitiligo often experience significant emotional and psychosocial distress. This can include pain, itch, increased levels of depression, anxiety about their physical appearance, fear of stigma and social isolation, impacting almost all aspects of daily life and their personal relationships.
Finding the best possible treatment and support can make a huge difference.
Dermatologists are the medical specialists in conditions of the skin, hair and nails. Find out more about what a dermatologist does and how to see one at www.dermcoll.edu.au/community/
Previous World Skin Health Day campaigns
2020
We helped Australians navigate how they access specialist dermatologist care in a new way in the new normal, with the launch of our resource, Your dermatology telehealth appointment: A five-step guide.
In launching the guide, we reminded Australians that when it comes to telehealth appointments, it’s OK to ask questions. Asking questions will help you get the best possible care and support.
View the campaign here
2019
We examined the impact of chronic skin, hair and nail conditions from the patient perspective, their psychosocial impacts in the form of stigma and discrimination, and challenges with access with the launch of our report:
More than skin deep: Skin diseases in Australia – navigating the healthcare system
2018
College launched an online social media campaign with a theme “Understand” to promote unique experiences of patients and help build a connection between dermatologists and patients.
View the campaign images here
.
