Advertisement
Ad revenue keeps our community free for you

How I Learned to Love My Swimsuit Body with Psoriasis

Real Talk

August 09, 2019

Content created for the Bezzy community and sponsored by our partners. Learn More

Jeremy Pawlowski/Stocksy United

Jeremy Pawlowski/Stocksy United

by Ciena Rae

•••••

Medically Reviewed by:

Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI

•••••

•••••

by Ciena Rae

•••••

Medically Reviewed by:

Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI

•••••

•••••

The journey to self-love and acceptance is different for everyone. Finding a community has helped me feel like I don’t have to hide anymore.

On my Instagram page, I’m fearless and outspoken about my psoriasis. But it took me a long time to feel this way. To understand how I learned to love my psoriasis body and not hide it, I’m going to have to take you back to the beginning of my story.

Join the free Psoriasis community!
Connect with thousands of members and find support through daily live chats, curated resources, and one-to-one messaging.

Growing up with psoriasis

Having psoriasis made me feel isolated when I was growing up. I started having symptoms at four years old. My parents took me from doctor to doctor, but were unable to get a diagnosis. They were told I had fungus, ringworm, and many other conditions. Psoriasis wasn’t as common at the time, and it was very difficult to get a diagnosis.

I was given a variety of topical steroids and biologics to treat my symptoms. Some worked for a short while, but I developed some sensitivities I didn’t have before I started taking them.

I was so young when my psoriasis symptoms started that I couldn’t put my feelings into words. I would cry without being able to say what was upsetting me. My skin was unbearably sensitive. Clothing tags felt like sandpaper. The elastic waistband on underwear would give me rashes. Most of the time, wearing clothes felt like bugs were crawling on me.

By the time I was in fifth grade, I had a lot of anger. I felt alone. I felt like the people who were supposed to be there for me had failed me. I felt like nobody understood what I was going through.

I hid my psoriasis from others. I was very guarded and didn’t open up about my psoriasis story. I never allowed myself to be vulnerable with people about what I was going through. I felt like an outsider.

Advertisement
Ad revenue keeps our community free for you

Navigating media

When I was in high school, I learned about the media. And, I realized that I never saw someone who looked like me in movies, on TV, or in magazines. This had a profound impact on me. It made me feel like everything I was going through wasn’t real. Like my psoriasis didn’t exist, and it was all in my head.

I knew I had to do something. I was lonely and ready for a better way of living. I didn’t want to hide anymore. I started an Instagram page because it would allow me to share my story with many people all at once. If I had something I wanted to say, I could say it. Social media gave me the chance to start a conversation about psoriasis on a much larger scale. At the very least, I could help one person feel less alone with what they’re going through.

Finding a community

My community of followers started to grow. I realized it was helping so many people to talk about their psoriasis experiences. I began showing myself in a more vulnerable light. I started posting photos that showed off my psoriasis skin. I stopped hiding my bathing suit body. I never had the strength to do that before.

The journey to self-love and acceptance is different for everyone. Thanks to the new community I had, I didn’t feel like I had to hide anymore. I’m not ashamed of having psoriasis.

Advertisement
Ad revenue keeps our community free for you

The bottom line

I don’t think I could ever go back to being silent about my condition. For me, it’s important to continue to advocate for psoriasis, so nobody ever feels alone. Hopefully, my story can resonate with others and help them to love their psoriasis body.

Article originally appeared on August 9, 2019 on Bezzy’s sister site, Healthline. Last medically reviewed on August 8, 2019.

Medically reviewed on August 09, 2019


Join the free Psoriasis community!
Connect with thousands of members and find support through daily live chats, curated resources, and one-to-one messaging.

Like the story? React below:


Have thoughts or suggestions about this article? Email us at article-feedback@bezzy.com.

Related stories

Advertisement
Ad revenue keeps our community free for you