Can Psoriasis Make You Feel Embarrassed About Your Skin?

Psoriasis is a dreadful condition to live with. It’s chronic, lifelong, and can be very visible. It can ruin your mental state, lower your self-esteem and make it harder to form relationships or bonds with other people.

Another thing: it can make you feel embarrassed about your skin.

The embarrassment impact

Psoriasis may cause you to avoid going places, stop speaking to people, or opt to not partake in certain activities. Swimming, for example, maybe be a big no-no. It certainly was for me. Taking your top off while on holiday or wearing a bikini may also be a big no-no.

In fact, any place, activity, or social event which requires you to remove certain garments or that occur where others are present may not be up for discussion. Instead, you choose to avoid them outright or make up excuses on why you cannot be present.

Other people may not understand. To them, it’s just a condition. Lots of people suffer from lots of different conditions, so why should psoriasis be any different? Others may not understand how much the condition affects you.

Speak out when comfortable

What I want you to know is that you don’t need to be embarrassed about your psoriasis. This disease inflicts around 125 million people globally and many celebrities have spoken out with their own story of living with the condition. With the rise of social media and a more compassionate society, lots of people are taking to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and many other platforms to share their own experience of living with psoriasis.

What you need to know is that while psoriasis is very visible, most people will be understanding. They may not have the condition themselves but do possess an empathetic understanding of how the disease will affect an individual.

Try and explain the condition to them. Get them in your headspace. It’s red. It lots of plaques that itch, bleed, and may make stains on your clothing. It’s very visual and can be time-consuming to manage.

Don't let psoriasis define you

But what if someone isn’t understanding after you’ve explained it to them? Ask them how they would feel if they had the condition. I remember growing up and feeling very alone because of my psoriasis. It was so visible and I just felt like I had no one to talk to. I thought this disease would inflict me for my entire life and make everything I’ve wanted to do much more difficult.

The truth is, psoriasis isn’t the be-all and end-all condition. Yes, it’s lifelong. Yes, it’s chronic. Yes, it’s visible. But the fact is, lots of people probably have a family member, friend, or partner with the condition in some form. They have probably heard of it. And, if they haven’t, they probably would want to learn about it.

Try and be open. There are so many different illnesses and conditions out there. If someone hasn’t heard of psoriasis, chances are they will be enlightened to learn about it. You are in the driving seat. You have this terrible condition. You can educate people. Education is power. It’s knowledge. It will help to reduce suffering and increase awareness. Be part of that movement.