What you wear can impact the symptoms of psoriasis. Follow these clothing tips to help get your condition under control.
Your clothing choices can affect more than just your style: They can actually help ease or exacerbate your symptoms.
People often use clothing to mask symptoms such as red, dry, and itchy skin, but certain types of clothing can aggravate skin irritation and trigger flare-ups related to psoriasis. It can become a vicious cycle if you aren’t careful.
Patients with psoriasis have very itchy, irritated, cracked dry plaques or areas of skin. As a consequence, the skin will readily bleed. Because the skin is dry, cracked, and oozing at times, clothes will stick to the open areas, further contributing to the bleeding.
Making Smart Clothing Choices
The good news is that there are simple changes you can make in your clothing choices and routines to help manage the pain, bleeding, and discomfort associated with psoriasis. Consider these steps:
Go loose. Tight clothing can worsen the symptoms of psoriasis. Dermatologists often see plaques arise on the hands, elbows, knees, and torso of people with psoriasis, so the more that a patient can cut back on tight-fitting or constricting clothes, the better. So choose looser clothing and undergarments (for example, boxers over briefs) when possible.
Choose cotton. Compared to other fabrics, cotton is less likely to irritate the skin or cause overheating. So try wearing lightweight cotton clothing next to your skin when possible, and avoid materials such as wool and synthetic fabrics. Synthetic clothes don’t breathe as much as cottons.
Launder fragrance-free. Laundry detergent can also affect your psoriasis. In general, recommendations for laundry detergents are consistent, whether a person has psoriasis or not. Too often, issues arise when detergents contain too much dye or fragrance, chemicals that are harsh for our skin. People with psoriasis have an impaired skin barrier and they will be more susceptible to these chemicals. So ‘free and clear’ brands will be important for them. Liquid detergents may be preferable to solid ones, adds Opel, as they dissolve better, and detergent particles may be less likely to stick to clothing.
Wear light colors to minimize the look of flakes. If you’re concerned about skin flakes appearing on your clothing, remember that light colors and patterns typically hide flakes better than dark colors.
Dress to hide your psoriasis. A National Psoriasis Foundation survey found that approximately 40 percent of people with the condition choose their clothing to hide their psoriasis. For days when you don’t want to deal with strangers reactions, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, full-length pants, and a strategically placed scarf will reduce the number of unwanted stares. But be aware that covering up may contribute to heat retention, so choose fabrics wisely.
Also keep in mind that as you’re treating your skin condition, your comfort level with wearing different types of clothing may increase.
Moisturize regularly. Keeping your skin moisturized can help ease symptoms such as itching and flaking, which can help you feel more comfortable in your clothes. Moisturize regularly with an unscented lotion, ointment, or cream. We also recommends rock salt baths. These are beneficial for relieving itching and helping with skin hydration. To prepare, add two cups of rock salt to a tub of really warm water. Soak for 10 to 15 minutes, and rinse. Before patting dry, apply moisturizer. We also recomend Naftalan Shampoo and Naftalan Oil for bath.
