I have a patch of eczema on my wrist that itches like a motherfucker and for the past week I’ve been going at it like a dog with fleas which has just resulted in it being hellllllaaaa gross.

SO 

instead now I slap it really hard and fast and make orgasm/porno noises until Majestic tells me that I’m bothering the neighbors

Thank you for all the asks with suggestions for those with psoriasis, eczema and other skin conditions!!

I still have a bunch in there RE: the difficulty of dealing with both a skin condition and your fat bodies and really I have even more in there just about the difficulties of being fat.  I want you to know you’re all heard and I do my best to get back to all of you.

I’m sorry you’re feeling pain and I’m even more sorry that you feel isolated.  

You’re clearly not alone based solely on my ask box :) I thought about starting another tumblr for fat skin stuff? Does that seem more unnecessary than necessary? How does everyone feel about that?  I sometimes feel like making a separate space leads to more isolation but I’m open to ideas and suggestions!!

I have a lot of asks about chub rub and darkened inner thighs too.  

Well I have that! I get that! I could post a picture of mine to prove it, which is essentially what ya’ll are asking but I honestly feel really conflicted about stuff like that.

On one hand, posts of nudity and whatever (essentially to show you my darkened inner thighs I’d have to post a picture of me spread eagle) can be really empowering and beautiful and what have you for the poster and the viewers.  I posed nude for Adipositivity and it was one of the best experiences of my life.

On the other hand, I see a lot of fat bodies posting themselves in various states of undress where my perception of the intent leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.  It feels like a cry for validation and that sometimes in doing these posts we’re only contributing to fat fetishization and the hypersexualization of fat bodies.  I don’t know, it just sometimes doesn’t sit well with me.  Like, when those just coming into body acceptance and still aren’t really loving their bodies post pictures of themselves in their skivvies talking about how they still don’t know if they like themselves, it just…its basing your worth on the comments from others.  It feels weird to me.

And I say this knowing I post a lot of naked fat bodies! I mean I guess its just up to me and my perception of the intent because it is my blog and whatever but I guess that’s sorrrrta where I’m at in regards to this outpouring of fat nudity posts.  

ANYWAAAAYS I do think there’s a way to show different skin types and body types and conversations we should be having about our bodies and our skin and I want to help and facilitate in any way I can!

For me personally, my inner thighs are definitely a visibly different color than the rest of my skin.  The skin is even tougher and I’ve gotten chub rub that leads to abscesses and they scarred.   It looks different than the inner thighs you see in magazines or porn.  

but its mine and honestly even if I did still care, I don’t even know how to change them.  Its a part of life!! The only people who really see it are my doctors and my lovers and they’re both really okay with my situation :)

I think the thing to remember is that if it happened to you, you better fucking believe its happening to someone else.  You’re not alone, you’re not a freak and you definitely deserve love and respect from others but especially from yourself.  

I’ll keep on this little project <3 xoxoxo 

sara-and-company-deactivated201 asked: Hey so I've been following these eczema posts and I personally have psoriasis and I think I can help!
First of all, eliminating dairy (which 85% of people are allergic to in some shape or form) helps a ton, but also using products with ginger will too!
I found out about the benefits of ginger because I work at the Body Shop and we sell this ginger shampoo for dandruff. We were out at one point and every time someone would ask about it they would say it was the only thing that worked on their eczema.
So I asked the senior sales associate and she told me that ginger works because it stimulates oil production on the scalp (and I'm going to assume other parts of the body) and the oil production calms the condition. As well the oils in the ginger itself are calming. Maybe people can make some ginger skin treatments for problem areas? It worked really well for me and I would definitely suggest trying it out. Plus it's all natural, which is nice because whenever mine flares up I have to use this nasty purple shampoo that feels like it's burning into my brain.

ALSO love the blog and fat acceptance and you basically opened my eyes to a whole new part of feminism that I was totally (and so sadly) ignorant to and for that I am so thankful :).

Kvetching over this whole post real quick <3 <3

Thank you so much <3 <3 <3

snackalupagus asked: You are super lovely as always and I can't wait til you move to Chicago, b/c I dream of you being my friend. This is for all the ladies discussing skin issues these days. I have keratosis pigmentosa myself, which really doesn't show up a lot in photos, and/or I don't really notice or give much of a crap about it, and stress related eczema, mostly on my scalp which is partly genetic and partly stress related. I just wanted to let all your readers know there are so many of us out there, and it's not always visible, as in my case where it's mostly scalpal or on my butt (lucky me). As always, every body is beautiful, so keep being proud of yourselves, people

Aw thanks so much for this!!!!

<3 <3 <3 <3

I can’t wait to get to Chicago and meet you!! xoxoxo

ihavesubtitlingonlife asked: OMG! Other people with excema!! Thank god. Like, it sucks that you and anon have excema, but it's nice to know I'm not the only one.

I use a lotion with a form of steroids in it that I got from my doctor when stuff gets too intense (I think it's call fluocinide). Other than that I used Cortaid lotion for excema to keep things under control (it works great), unscented lotions, and Aveeno Skin Relief body wash. I have to be really proactive about it because my excema is stress related and I'll itch and not even know it (i even do it in my sleep.)

Sorry if this is a big ramble.

Thank you for your input!! xoxo

mrrbrr asked: To Anon with Eczema:

I also have Eczema on my legs pretty badly on occasion. It runs in the family, and It's something i've learned to deal with. My left leg is pretty flaky right now, and while I'd love to wear skirts and bare legs-- I have learned the wonders of leggings and tights. It's the compromise I make with my body when it decides to hinder my bare leg plans. I can still feel lovely in a dress, but I'll wear a pair of well matched leggings.

I also agree that the dermatologist's steroid creme was NOT helpful to me and TLC is how I deal. Tea tree oil and quality lotion with vitamin e has helped for me.

It took a long time for me to even feel comfortable showing my legs to family, and now I on't even notice. These are my legs. This is how they are, and that's ok.

Don't let the momentary speed bumps hinder you from feeling beautiful!

<3 <3 <3

Anonymous asked: Just putting in my opinion here -
As a fat person who also has psoriasis, I have to say it is almost impossible to deal with both at the same time.
When I look to photos of "fatspiration" and fabulous fat women, they are ALWAYS clear-skinned. Even if they have stretch marks or acne, the skin is smooth. Nobody is red and flaky and unpleasant like me.
When even the national psoriasis foundation posts pictures of people with psoriasis as inspiration for content living, they are always thin.
It's not always as easy as lotion and cold showers - my skin, which has a rather severe relative of eczema, requires a 80$-a-dose medication in order to get rid of the flakes, and I'm suffering from mass outbreaks of skin infections as a side effect.
I'm not trying to make myself seem like a victim, but I understand where that anon is coming from. I can accept fat, if I just had clear skin. And I could accept the psoriasis or infections, if I were just thin. But the combination of both is terrible, even for the hardiest of personalities.
However, I do have to mention that one of the reasons that anon is having such a hard time is because people with nonclear skin AREN'T represented in FA. I remember reading a post by definatalie about how as someone with acne scars, she felt the need to hide them and felt embarrassed. Acne scars can be covered with makeup, but open sores can't. I wish it wasn't like this, and that people with nonclear skin could feel represented in FA art and photography.

Opinions when respectful are always welcome and appreciated :)

I’ve sort of addressed the clear skin thing and definitely the smooth skin thing before because yeah, you’re not seeing a bunch of diversity in model pictures.  There is DEFINITELY varied skin types in pictures of fat bodies on Tumblr, like that’s a fact.  Maybe they’re not bleeding but like, in my pictures the camera just doesn’t pick up some of my differently colored parts or bumps, etc.  I just don’t have that nice of a camera. I DEFINITELY don’t have that smooth of skin as my pictures convey…like I seriously, hand to god, do not edit my photos and still, I look like I’m fucking carved from butter!!  But I’ve seen posts and reblog posts where folks have skin that’s real and it shows.  Its out there.  

I mean are you posting pictures of your skin?  I don’t say that as an attack, I just mean like if people aren’t doing it, you’re not going to see it.

I also acknowledge the severity of your conditions.  I know its hard to deal with and I know its not always as easy as lotion and showers and I’m genuinely sorry for that.  I don’t know what to say about that exactly except that I AM sorry and that I wish it were different.

All I can say is that I’m here for support and I hope it gets easier. I do think if you want to see more diverse skin situations, we have to be willing to do it ourselves.  Thats exactly why I post pictures of my body and my outfits because I wasn’t seeing bodies like mine.

I hope you don’t feel like I was being dismissive or condescending in my last answer, that was never my intention

Anonymous asked: For your anon with eczema- it can also be caused by an allergy to eggs. When I eliminated eggs from my diet it cleared up my skin. :)

Thanks!!!

I’m glad that’s not what mine is, I’d almost rather live with eczema than give up bagel eggy sandwiches :(

Anonymous asked: Hello, Jessica. I appreciate all that you are doing in the realm of body acceptance. I was wondering if you might have some advice or helpful thoughts to spare for me. You see, I am overweight. (over what weight?) Okay, I am fat. I also have an incredibly severe case of eczema. The fat is pretty well distributed on my body, but I have a rather large stomach. The eczema...well, it's all over my legs. Covering the shins. It flakes and bleeds and itches and it is altogether unattractive.

See, my problem is this. The kind of person I am and the kind of personality I have, I feel that I could deal with either of these things. See, like, I also have Tourette's Syndrome, but all that is as far as I'm concerned is character building. I feel like I could embrace my fat self and love it and live it, or that I could say let them be damned! Stare at my unsightly legs. But I don't think that I can handle them both together. The cute things I want to wear that take my out of my comfort zone for my body and push my boundaries!--well, they expose my legs. And when I cover up my legs so I can carry on as though I don't have a visible ailment, I feel as though I'm cheating myself and my body. It isn't just about clothes, though. I feel that anyone who took interest in me would be willing to overlook a flaw. But I don't think I could expect anyone to appreciate my body when it is both fat and flaky :/

And I hate saying this because I am a firm believer in the fact that everyone should stop hating his/her bodies, and that we should all learn to love ourselves, but...I'm just having a hard time. Easier said than done, right?

Oh! And thanks to your blog, I am adding mermaids to my list of cute things I like to buy in figurine form. So thank you for that as well :) xoxoxoxo

Oh honey, I know what you’re going through BIG TIME.

I get eczema too!! It used to get so bad and so itchy that I’d scratch it so much it’d bleed, then that would get infected and STILL ITCH.

AND yeah that’s super fucking tough to process ON TOP OFF having a body people try to shame even without red flaky bumpy itchy bleedy skin. 

Like, feeling bad about having eczema is a totally different story to me than feeling bad about your fat. Eczema is a condition that makes us uncomfortable. Fat feels fine!

Here’s what I did.  I saw a doctor and they prescribed me an expensive lotion that smelled like vomit.  It seriously smelled like bad cheese.  And it didn’t fucking help. Soooooo don’t do that!

THEEEENNN I got emu oil and emu oil lotion and only showered with cold water.  I apply that lotion obsessively and now I’m virtually eczema free unless the weather changes too dramatically for my delicate and refined self ;)

Seriously I swear by that lotion and cold baths/showers.

I’m always here if you want to talk!!!  You’re beautiful and you’re going to be just fine!!! xoxoxo