I got a very nice email today from a young woman who wanted to know how she could cover up her psoriasis.

“Help,” she wrote, “Isn’t it bad enough that I have psoriasis? Do I have to deal with everyone staring at me when I go out? What can I do?”

And, after reminding her that I’m not a doctor, I did suggest a couple of things based on my reading that might make her psoriasis easier to cope with.

First, I suggested that, where possible, she stick to long pants and long sleeve shirts, as this would probably address the majority of her appearance concerns. In places where clothing cover up was impossible, I suggested that following:

• Moisturize your skin regularly. This can decrease the redness and scaly lesions.
• Remove as much scaly skin as possible if you are going to use cosmetics to cover or hide your psoriasis.

You can get rid of scales by suffocating them (the medical term is occlusion) or drowning them (the medical term is hydration).

In occlusion, you would coat each lesion with a really thick cover of dense emollient cream. Cover the lesion overnight with plastic wrap. When you shower in the morning, the scales should rinse off.

In hydration, you soak for 10-15 minutes in warm water dosed with bath oil, and then use a soft cotton washcloth or towel to remove the scales.

If you are going to use a cosmetic cover up, never put this on open wounds, and try to use as little as possible. One brand of cover-up you might try is Dermablend, which works great for birthmarks, spider veins, and other things like this.

When your teenage skin isn’t acting like it should, a good first step is to check your water intake. It can be too easy (and too tempting) to get all your fluids from sodas or coffee, but sometimes, clear, pure water is just what the doctor ordered to help you clear up your skin.

Drinking enough water every day will help you with a few teen beauty issues. First, if you have oily skin (and most teens do), it will help balance out your skin’s oil production so you look less greasy.

Teen obesity is on the rise, and lack of water plays a role in this too. Did you know that our bodies sometimes give off hunger signals when they are really thirsty? Drinking enough water will keep you from consuming calories your body doesn’t really want or need.

Finally, drinking enough water will keep your skin healthy and clear. It will flush out any toxins, and will keep you from getting dry skin (which is almost as bad as really oily skin).

Aim to drink at least eight to ten glasses of water each day, more if it’s really warm outside or you exercise a lot.

Water is one of the least expensive, and most effective, skin care treatments you can find. Drink more water, see better teen skin. Easy, huh?