Showing your body in public

[Samster]

Folks, I've not posted much on this board but started looking again after a recent flare up.

Something I've always wondered about is people's attitude to showing their bodies in public when their P is particularly bad.  It came home to me at the weekend when I was away at Center Parcs with the family.  My 5 year old daughter loves to go swimming and I didn't want to see the disappointment on her face if I said no to her. 

So I made a concious decision to get in the pool depsite my guttate P being pretty bad just now.  I noticed a few strange looks and a few double takes from people but no-one said anything and by and large most people didn't even bother.

The one question that came into my mind was where is everyone else with similar skin diseases?  I don't want people to take this the wrong way and sound like I'm trying to be triumphalist (look at me going in the pool etc) but we all know that x% of the population has some form of skin disease so why was I the only one in a swimming pool of hundreds of people with the only noticeable skin disease?

Don't get me wrong I know it's a hard thing to cope with and to be honest I was worried about putting my swimming shorts on and going out in public. 

What's everyone's attitude to this?

[babyblue]

Well done Sam ... afraid I ain't nearly as brave and hide my P constantly !   

[kerrieginge]

I go swimming all the time, doesn't really bother me if people see my p. I never try to hide it....but saying that, my skin isn't really that bad compared to some people. Maybe I would feel differently if it was.

[jover11188]

Sam I can only say my wife who has lived 30 years with me with P has always made me swim or go on the beach, she always tells me its thier problem not mine, so I also show my P. Sure I hate it, I hate that im being looked at or talked about.............we only get one life, ok ours has been messed around by a red blotchy , flaky skin condition, Ive learnt to live with it, with the strenght and love of my family and friends who all want to know how good or bad it is at the moment, I feel that showing has brought me out more, I even show my staff so they understand why im like I am at times, and they are supportive. If you can bring yourself to show.......then SHOW.

Regards John

dont scratch in public...............blood does freak em out lol

[Luvvi]

I hate anyone seeing my psoriasis...I keep well covered!

[Beverley]

I also go swimming just came back from a centreparcs weekend. Didn't go swimming this time but that is because my grandson was sick. I find I have tjo take a deep breathe for the walk from the changing room to the pool but once I'm in the pool I take very little notice of what other people do. You do get some stares but then pejople tend to get on with what they were doing. Only thing is that after swimming I itch like mad.

[Snow Surfin Mike]

I just get on with it... 

I've had a few people come up to me and ask if I have P i have, then congratulate me for not being bothered about baring it to all!

I'm not bothered about what other people think, it's their issue, not mine

[Violet]

I usually hide mine, but when I'm feeling brave/reckless I get it out and usually get compliments tbh.
About how attractive confidence is & how people wish they could show there's and not care.
Agree with Mike tho, if you have P then you should be the one saying whether its attractive or not, not anyone else

[Jamie..]

I'm i hider usually, but difficult to hide my face and my hands. If im at work i will wear t-shirts occasionally if its not really red, but if im out running in the summer or of to sunbathe, then t-shirt and shorts as i have been a bit braver the last year. I guess part of me is ashamed of how i look. Stupid i know

[frost]

i was on hol last year somewhere really hot and i covered up all the time until we found a really quiet beach then i stripped off for a few hours.
My P was flaring then and i hated the fact that i was pretty much the only 1 with long trousers on although they were light weight.
I did see a couple of folk while i was there with P as bad if not worse than mine and they didnt seem to care so good on them.
I just didnt have the confidence.
This years hols is going to be different thanks to the F*  word!!

* Fumaderm