The Psoriasis Fight When Shopping For Apparel

Do you want to know a secret? I hate shopping for clothes and shoes. I loathe it. Being a woman I am supposed to love shopping right? Well, I do love shopping for the most part just not when it comes to those particular items.

When it comes to clothes and shoe shopping, the only thing I value is comfort. Living with psoriasis has made attaining both comfortable clothing and shoes a complete nightmare.

All of it feels uncomfortable

Let me explain my clothing dilemma. When I came out of high school, I was a bean pole. I was 95 pounds soaking wet. Two children later packed some weight on me, for sure. It was when I turned 33 that the first patch of psoriasis popped up on my leg. At my worst, I was 80% covered in plaques.

The severity of psoriasis doesn't matter when it comes to clothing. All of it feels uncomfortable when it touches or irritates your skin. At my most severe, everything I wore felt like I fell on a cactus. I would never dare to try clothes on in the store for fear of leaving flakes. I would just buy what I thought would fit.

Should we talk about all the medication that comes along with psoriasis? My treatment packed on so much weight that it made shopping for clothes shame-inducing and unbearable.

The challenges of shoe shopping

Shoes. Another shopping chore I hate. Believe it or not, I hate it more than clothes shopping. You see, I still have active psoriasis patches on my toes and ankles. It makes finding a comfortable pair of shoes almost impossible.

I have to get shoes that have a high ankle covering so that it does not rub on my psoriasis skin. As for the toe coverage, I have to have wide shoes so that my toes are not bunched together. Two specific requirements that make shoe shopping an all-day event.

If I am lucky enough to find a pair of shoes that checks out, I buy multiple pairs. I learned that the hard way. One time I had found the perfect shoe. They were so comfortable. When I went back to buy more, they were gone.

The fight for comfort rages on...

Psoriasis remission is always on my mind. I always catch myself wondering if there will ever be a time when I'm completely clear. 17 years and 6 biologics later, I have still not found that one that works wonders for me.

I know it is a lifelong fight. However, I keep hoping that one day there will be a treatment that fully works, or better yet there will be a cure for psoriasis. Maybe just maybe I will then find joy in shopping for clothes and shoes. Until that time, the fight for finding comfortable clothes and shoes rages on.