Please help me look stylish while battling psoriasis

[SouthChinaMorningPost]

I have psoriasis all up both arms, have elbows of death and my right leg looks burned, knees and ankles are no go areas, plus i major lesions on both feet. basically i need a sheet over my head with holes for eyes and arms, maybe one for the gob so i can still scoff my hobnobs.

Ive felt really down today because it just feels unhideable in this weather - so. I feel dirty! Scabby! Ugly! Contagious!!

Please help me. My Main problem is FOOTWEAR.
I need: Footwear which will go with the inevitable skinny jeans, maxi skirt combo - but I really dont like trainers v much - are there any alternatives? I just cannot have the middle of my foot on show. loafters and mary janes do not cover the scales of horror...They are the size of a shampoo bottle base, just to give you a workable S&B context!!

Can one "DON" a sheer shirt this year? I have a faded old denim number for scale disguise, but it is now 6 years old.....I live in that and my trusty denim jacket, and I always proclaim that IM "one of those bloody people who's always cold".

I am watching with interest as also have the most hideous psoriasis and sick to death of feeling like crap all the time with it. I want to wear strappy tops and sandals, even shorts! But no, jeans and shorts and brogues for me even in this heat. I hate it! Hopefully someone comes along with excellent ideas! Sorry you are suffering with it too, it's awful

*shirts not shorts

How about cold shoulder tops? Tesco has some nice ones with long sleeves. They also have some nice cheesecloth/peasant type long sleeve tops too, which should be quite cool?

Have a look at saltwater sandals, they have good foot coverage.

thankyou bear. Will take a look.

Teddy - where are your nightmare bits? Maybe I can advise you with my decade experience of shit skin and an urge to be beautiful!

Following and sympathising. I've suddenly developed guttate psoriasis this year after years of just plaques on elbows. It's like hundreds of tiny patches, all over my body, including face and scalp. At the moment it looks a lot like chicken pox and I'm pretty miserable and embarrassed.

This week in work I was most comfortable the day I wore baggy hareems from last year and a loose tshirt (feel lucky work is casual!) tho scaly arms were out, it just seems impossible to cover all of it, all the time without looking bizarre.

Good old Birkenstock clogs cover the foot and are a summer shoe. Would espadrilles or a slipper shoe work?

Sending lots of sympathy to those of you suffering.
Re: footwear - I wear white converse all year round pretty much, not a fan of sandals. They go with everything really, just give a slightly more tomboy look with a dress or skirt. They would def cover the middle part of feet. Or white Superga.

I'm covered - scalp, face, neck, ears, guttate on arms, legs and torso and plaque on elbows, knees, back of neck and torso. It's delightful! I'm currently trying a really high dose of vitamin D which seems to be slowly improving things a tiny bit. I just hate it!

I'm going to buy some white converse, didn't think of those and will go with most of what I have!

OP my dsis has terrible psoriasis, but she made the decision a few years ago to get out in the sun. It's really good for psoriasis. She lives in London across the road from a park, and every chance she gets she is there in shorts and vest. It really helped her confidence actually, was liberating. Plus it really helped her skin.

Blimey Teddy, that's pretty extensive coverage! Do you live in polo necks in winter? Its my trademark look!

Ive come out in guttate this year too, wierdly my plaques on my legs have turned into guttate which is odd. i also have it all over my torse but it barely registers!

Yep, polo necks and jeans. Or polo necks and skirt and tights 😂 It's usually better than this, but I'm breastfeeding so can't use Dovobet. Weirdly when I was pregnant it completely went, it was a blissful 9 months! Came back 4 days after giving birth, the worst flare up I've ever had, so I'm trying to get it back under control.

Have you tried high dose vitamin D at all? I'm finding it is actually doing something, I think by next summer it should have cleared the majority. Until then it's maxi dresses and denim jackets

I megadose vitamins C and D, I do 10,000iu daily. never seen any difference tbh. what doseage are you on?

My other recommendation is probiotics - I cleared loads after taking optibac extra strength!

Ive come up with a really good solution for sandals - Im going to fashion a T-bar and sew it in to the toe but leave it looped free on the strap so i can adjust according to the whims of my skin!!

Following with interest as i have venous eczema - my lower legs are a mess!! Shoes are a nightmare to find as anything "close" to my ankles cause swelling.

If I were you I'd go with maybe a maxi dress with a very light shirt/jacket thing to use if you feel uncomfortable.

But honestly I wouldn't look twice at someone with bad psoriasis or excema. My mum has psoriatic arthritis and I remember her going to the hospital for uv therapy when I was younger so please don't let people put you off getting some sun on your skin.

Teddy, dont know if it's helpful or not but my Dr okayed Dovobet while breastfeeding so long as not on actual boobs. I am BF once a day and using Dovobet on the worst bits on my legs etc, so far from boobs.

Doesn't help that my boobs are currently one of the worst bits!

Sharon thanks for posting that. I'm trying to just get on with it and think if someone says something I'll just explain and that will be that. Easier said than done though, it hugely knocks my confidence. I do usually feel better when I manage to be more "so what" about it, but it takes emotional energy :/

Sort of forgot we are in S&B here! Was going to ask if anyone has seen any light cottony / jersey long shelved cardigans anywhere? Ideally NOT "waterfall" style, I hate them, but would love something really light to layer up in customer facing bits of work. And probably not black (though all my clothes are black, curses) because of flaky bits on shoulders.

I had an amazing Gap light cardigan a few years ago that I wore to death, was exactly what I need now and I'm almost dreaming about it! I had to throw it in the bin because it had actually worn through all over in the end!

Have you seen Red magazine this month? There's a wonderful article by a woman with pretty severe psoriasis about self image and what helped etc.

anthropologie sandals covering much of the mid foot

perforated hush puppies

Rebecca Minkoff

perforated, lower heel

I like covering my toes in summer myself, I have some Pikolinos that allow air to the roes without having them on show. Quite had to find coverage! Anthropologie are good for unusual designs that could give more coverage.

I've just read the red article too. Her website is getyourskinout.Com

My dd aged 11 has severe guttate psoriasis and is currently having a flare up. She has had it since she was 6. We have always said to her that she should wear what ever she wants, which she does, and she shouldn't feel like she has to cover it up.

I know I haven't experienced it myself and that she is only a child, but my feelings are that you should all be wearing those strappy tops, shorts etc and stuff the reactions of others. You have nothing to be ashamed of.

I can totally sympathise.... I have psoriasis on my legs which looks like burns also... I also have it from my wrist right up to my elbows.... I spent years hiding it away but over the last 12 months I decided to not hide it anymore and I'm so glad I did because the exposure to the air has helped it massively... Although still there, the plaques are nowhere near as bad. I took the decision to get it out there when I realised that it was not just holding me back but also my children who I never took swimming because I couldn't bear the thought of showing my legs. I sucked it up one day and got into the pool and guess what... People didn't stare... It was quite liberating. Sunlight is great for it so the more you hide it the worse it gets. One thing to also note is that for me keeping away from acidic foods helps. I also try to get into the sea as much as possible during the summer months as that helps. Of course the triggers can be different for everyone but I am trying to also reduce my stress by looking at ways to change my reactions to things I can't control. I've spent years using creams from the doctor but exposing my skin and reducing stress has helped more than all of them combined.

I had this my whole life on my hands. It want onto my scalp and face and arms about a year ago.

Eventually I worked out (through seeing an allergy specialist) that it was caused by a chemical that is used in almost everything. Washing detergent, soaps, shampoos, makeup.

Now I'm not saying that yours is caused by it just make sure you are not making it worse by checking the stuff you are using.

Methylisothiazolinone.

Clearly mine was a misdiagnosis by the way

White Stuff do a range of light weight cardies.

www.whitestuff.com/womens/knitwear/cardigans/aqua-blue-chalky-cardi/

My mother had this very badly. Sun was very good for her problem, though that may not be true for everyone. Could you try exposing your skin more rather than less? Maybe just in your garden initially. On another note, uniqlo have some nice linen shirts.