Pso, You Want to Wear Comfy Clothes?

Living with psoriasis can be challenging because it brings new hurdles to our everyday life. Things like getting dressed for the day can become so much more complicated when trying to navigate your clothes around your psoriasis flares.

Over the next few months, we will put out clothing hacks shared by those in the community to help make life navigating psoriasis a little more comfortable.

This month, we’re discussing the struggles of dressing for work.

Pso, you want to be comfy going to work?

For those of us with psoriasis, finding comfortable clothes to go to work in can be challenging. Some jobs require more formal clothing and others may require a uniform.

Here’s what our community says:

• Diane shares how difficult it can be to go into a job interview with visible psoriasis. “I was always trying to put my best foot forward for a job interview, but having psoriasis didn’t make it easy. You just don’t know how that person was going to react to seeing you and your ‘rash’.”
• Alisha shares, “I feared encountering my coworkers' lack of understanding and so I covered my disease as much as I could. The impact of psoriasis on my work life was difficult. I tried my best to work jobs that allowed me to cover my disease.”
• Jack says, “If your patches bleed, you may feel embarrassed about blood patches being on your clothes, so you may choose to layer up.”
• For those who can, many people with psoriasis find that working from home helps to create a better environment for their psoriasis. Clair says, “Who would have thought that clothes could be the deciding factor for me? What a pleasure to not have to force my sore and itchy skin into clothes that do nothing other than make my skin worse.”

Pso, you want to be comfy in the summer?

Summer can be a particularly difficult time for those of us living with psoriasis, since heat is a common psoriasis trigger. Many people in our community struggle to find clothes that allow their skin to breathe in the summer.

Here’s what our community says:

• When it comes to dressing for the summer, Diane says, “Psoriasis sufferers should avoid direct skin contact with clothing made of artificial materials. Light and fluttery clothing will contribute to the feeling of comfort to the body.”
• Jack says, “You don’t want to purchase something which rubs against your psoriasis lesions or makes them even itchier. Cotton has been good for me, but always try on your clothes if you can before you buy them.”
• Vickie tries to limit her time outside time the best she can. “Sweating is never good when it comes in contact with open sores that I have. It burns.”
• Sweat also aggravates Alisha’s psoriasis. She recommends wearing slip-on pads opposed to ankle or calf socks and switching to cloth or rope belts opposed to leather belts.

Remember, the number one goal when dressing in the heat is comfort! Do what is best for your skin and don’t be afraid to get outside if you want.

Clair says, “There is so much in this life to be appreciated. Also do not be afraid to get your skin out. Allow the rays of the sun to touch your skin, ignore any rude humans who stare, even better, smile and wave.”

Pso, you want to be comfy at home?

We all want to be comfy, but living with psoriasis can make wearing comfy clothes extra challenging. When you want to be in comfortable clothing at home, the last thing you want is a scratchy fabric or something touching your plaques that might further irritate your skin.

Here's what our community says:

• Tikeyah recommends finding a fabric that won't irritate your skin: "I've found that cotton is the best fabric for my psoriasis because it doesn't scratch my skin."
• Clair takes the color of a piece of clothing in mind: "Lighter colors and even shirts with patterns of various colors are certainly easier to hide flaking skin. I find that when I wear dark tops, I will often pair them with a light scarf to help with this very thing."
• Diane recommends clothes that are not too tight, to prevent rubbing: "Learn how to find the right fit so that you can move around without worrying too much about chafing. Pieces that are slightly loose will always be better than tight ones."
• Alisha recommends a good pair of undergarments: "Undergarments will be your best friend. Undergarments such as undershirts will help soak up any topical ointments you apply to your skin as opposed to them staining your clothes."

Finding clothes that work with your psoriasis can be challenging. Sometimes you can buy all of the "right" fabrics, fits, etc. and your clothes STILL feel uncomfortable.

Vickie has said, "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."