"Everything is perfect when you stop looking for flaws." A black sundress with psoriasis? Of course I can! #flauntyourflares
The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) is kicking off summer with a new Instagram campaign called #FlauntYourFlares, which aims to put psoriasis awareness in the sunshine.
When you have psoriasis, enjoying summer can be difficult. Despite sunshine often being beneficial for psoriasis plaques, many patients will cover up their skin out of embarrassment. After all, many times it is easier to be hot with long sleeves than try to explain your angry skin when wearing a tank top. And the pool? Many patients will avoid a swimsuit at all costs.
#FlauntYourFlares wants to change this mindset and show that psoriasis should not stop anyone from living a happy life. Psoriasis does not define you, and you are braver than you think.
Take a cue from my own kid. At age 5, he refused to wear jeans to his kindergarten meet and greet, where he met his teacher and classmates for the first time. I was worried he would be asked embarrassing questions, have children point and stare, and have parents whisk away their own children for fear of catching whatever my son had.
He insisted on wearing short sleeves, shorts and sandals. I anticipated having to "protect" him from all of my worries and scenarios that played out in my mind. Mama Bear was ready!
Instead, he didn’t need me at all. Yes, the kids asked him what was on his skin. Yes, he got some stares from parents. But he answered them in such a way that everyone accepted him. He simply explained, "Oh, that’s psoriasis. It’s like bug bites. Don’t worry. You can’t catch it."
I got a good lesson in parenting that day, and never again did I try to convince him that covering his skin would be better. He’ll never let psoriasis define him, so neither will I.
You, too, can #FlauntYourFlares. Head over to Instagram and post a photo of yourself during a psoriasis flare (past or present) and show that psoriasis won’t stop you from continuing to live a healthy, active life. Include an inspirational quote and the hashtag: #FlauntYourFlares. Throughout the summer, NPF will highlight one winner each week on its social media channels, and a second winner will be selected to receive a summer healthy lifestyle kit.
So, get going! #FlauntYourFlares and tell psoriasis to take a back seat to your active life.
