Tips for Remaining Confident as a Teenager with Psoriasis

I'm really proud of my 17-year-old son, not only because he is super smart and already has his career with GCHQ mapped out in his mind, but because he is living with a long-term chronic skin condition and he does it with such good humour.  You'd be forgiven for looking at that photo above and thinking he is just a pretty normal teenage lad, perhaps a bit geeky or a nerd, but there doesn't look as if there is anything out of the usual, does there?

However, look a bit deeper and you'd see red or scaly white patches covering most his body. Why? Because he has plaque psoriasis. 

Living with Psoriasis

Until JJ started to develop psoriasis three years ago it wasn't something I knew much about. I had no idea that it is estimated around 2 - 3% of the UK population are suffering with it (according to the UK Psoriasis Association), and it's only in the last year that I've seen just how bad it can get, both on JJ and by joining some online support groups. 

Psoriasis is a particularly difficult skin condition as there is no cure for it, and it presents differently on each person. I'm also learning that what works to helps relieve it at one point may stop working, and there is a massive range of treatments to choose from. It can be quite overwhelming if I am entirely honest.

JJ's psoriasis started off on his back, behind his ears and a patch above his left eye, then over time it has spread and worsened. Whenever I read about psoriasis there is always a description of it flaring up and being worse for a while and then subsiding again. Sadly, this hasn't been the case for JJ, the psoriasis on his body has been progressively getting worse over the last year or so. The plaques on his face do seem to go down with topical steroid creams but we are really trying to limit the use of those.

You can see the from the zoomed-in photos below the reality of how psoriasis can look when you are up close. JJ's daily reality is a scalp that itches and flakes excessively leaving him with 'dandruff' shoulders, red or scaly white patches on his face and his body, constant moisturising to help take away the tightness, itchiness or even pain of his skin, a floor that needs hoovering almost as soon as you've just done it and bedclothes that end up covered in emollient. 

He doesn't have the luxury of most teenage boys, that of choosing if he has a skincare regime, without looking after his skin he'd be uncomfortable all the time.

15 Great Gifts to buy a Teen Boy for Christmas - Gift Guide

Christmas is fast approaching and I do love to get ready nice and early so that I can spend most of December spending time with my family and enjoying Advent. I have to admit that I far prefer buying for women than men, probably because I'm a woman but it just seems so much easier.  I'm determined that my teenage son won't miss out on the fun though and I thought I'd share with you some suggestions of items to buy for a teenage boy this year.

If you ask my son what he'd like for Christmas or a birthday his stock answer is money, that's because he is always saving up for the next laptop, gaming headset, phone or other such gadget. I'm sure we will give him some money but he needs some gifts to open too and I've found in the past when I give him items that he doesn't even know he wants, he ends up having fun and it keeps him off his tech for an hour or two and that's a win in my book!

Gifts for under £5.00

Haribo Festive Treats - from £1

Who doesn't love Haribo (#ad) sweets? I don't think there is any age cap on them and I know all my kids will be pleased to receive a selection box, cracker or tree hanging gift this year. With prices starting from just £1 they are a delicious bargain and can be picked up at any supermarket.

Sudoku Cube Puzzle - £2.99

I love this 6cm x 6cm x 6cm cube, it is an amazing price and looks great quality too. Even better it will fit in JJ's stocking. Here is what they say on the Find Me A Gift site - "through the ungodly union of Sudoku and Rubik's cube, we bring you the Sudoku Cube! This fiendishly difficult little puzzle might look unassuming, but it's here to make you grit your teeth and swear under your breath in frustration." Just perfect for my smarty pants to keep him occupied for a few hours over Christmas, or in the car on a long journey.

The Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide for Teenage Boys - 12 Great Ideas

Personally I always find girls so much easier to buy for than boys and if you were to ask my 14 year old son what he'd like for Christmas, do you know the answer you'd get? Money. That's all. Everything he wants costs hundreds and hundreds so what he wants is money to put towards his next big purchase and for him right now, that's a gaming PC. He already has a laptop, iPad and phone but apparently none of those are quite up to the job and he needs more ram and a better CPU!

Whilst he will get some money from us for Christmas, I do feel he also needs a few different things to encourage him off of his tech! I like him to have at least a couple of presents to open and then he won't feel totally left out.

So here are 12 ideas of what to buy a teenage boy this Christmas -

Young driver course
I'm keen on giving anything that gets my son away from his tech, so this young driver course is just perfect. There is the option of a 30 minute or 60 minute taster lesson and you can attend at one of 60 centres across the UK. If you live close by and your child enjoys it they can then book more lessons and build on their skills ready for when they are 17 and can get their provisional license and do it for real. It is £34.95 for 30 minutes or £64.95 for a full hour but I've seen cut price deals on Groupon a few times. So have a google and see what you can find.

Derwent Pencil Wrap Set
My son is keen to colour, he finds it therapeutic and it really satisfies his need for things to look perfect. He is happy to sit there and intricately colour an adult colouring book with the most minute details. However he has been moaning recently that he doesn't have any nice colouring pencils. Well I think he'll be super happy to see this gorgeous 24 pencil wrap from the world leading British artists' brand Derwent.

The canvas and leather wrap is very stylish and a great colour for a young guy to feel happy to carry with him. The wrap is available with 24 pencils from any one of the four Derwent pencil ranges - Procolour, Watercolour, Inktense or Coloursoft and there are an additional 6 slots for your drawing pencils or fineliners. This quality wrap retails for £44.99.