Winter Worries And Psoriasis

I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone. It felt like yesterday when it was Easter and we were celebrating with chocolate eggs and a lovely roast dinner. Now, it’s almost Christmas and the totally opposite end of the calendar.

As we move from summer into autumn in the UK, it makes me ponder my psoriasis and think about the things I’ll need to do to stop my patches being red, angry, and painful.

Granted, at the moment, I’m pretty lucky, regardless. My biologic injection treatment is working to keep lots of my symptoms at bay and I only have a break out in certain areas of my body. But the lesions are still there and still trying to cause me a nuisance.

Over summer, we can sort of get protection from our plaques. For those of us with the confidence to show our arms and legs, rays from the sunshine can help penetrate through and slow down the skin shedding process, subsequently resulting in fewer plaques.

But now we’re heading into autumn and winter, the days get shorter, the sunshine is in less supply and generally we feel worse and groggy. At least, I do anyway.

So, what will I be doing as we approach winter to help my skin condition? A few things actually.

How I prep for winter

I’ll be making sure the jumpers and sweatshirts I put on do not irritate my plaques. It may sound basic, but cotton clothes work well for me. Some materials make me want to itch more, and I have to be particularly careful where images and logos are on T-shirts because they can rub on my skin which leads to a break out.

Then, I’ll be considering the colour of my clothes. Black, navy, brown and other dark colours are a no-no because if plaques fall, it can become an embarrassment. While I’m not bothered so much these days, it does become a nuisance when people ask: ‘What’s that?’ As the top of your T-shirt is covered in, what looks like, snowflakes.

I also won’t be wearing too many ‘skinny’ jeans or tight-fitting clothes. While it may be tempting to show off your muscles, and of course, I have them, it can be a bad irritant on your skin. Again, plaques may rub, and if they become too painful, they may bleed, resulting in blood stains and patches on our attire. You don’t want that.

In essence, winter marks a big milestone in the calendar for psoriasis sufferers. There are a lot of things to consider from the material, color and type of clothing to make sure it doesn’t irritate and worsen your symptoms.

But also, don’t go overboard. If your condition is stopping you from living life to the fullest, seek professional help and definitely mention it at your medical appointments. Do what you can in the meantime to make each day more comfortable. Speak to your friends, join support groups, or chat to someone you trust. Winter comes with many drawbacks for psoriasis sufferers, but it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. You can enjoy it and prosper.