How clear is a clear skin

[jiml]

Wow Dave I was never that bad just huge patches everywhere, and I mean everywhere, I would find it hard to put a percentage on it, but I do know it was enough to make me very unhappy and felt life was passing me by

I'm glad Stelara is working well for you and getting you almost clear

[Bill]

Stelara sounds like a Godsend for you Dave. It is amazing what you put up with when it comes on slowly. You must be very pleased with such progress.

Jim, sore feet sounds like psa to me. The soles of my feet hurt a bit when I get up in the morning. It is much less a problem now as the pain goes fairly quickly.

[Turnedlight]

I think of having no psoriasis at all as being clear, as you stand a chance of remission.
I had remission for about ten years after the first attack.
But whenever I have the tiniest patch, it's just a matter of time before its bigger. I don't seem to stay at the 'almost clear' stage.
I achieved almost clear (tiny amount) on methotrexate at a high dose, but when the derm started bringing the dose down it came back quick. Then it stopped working.

So for me, clear means none at all.

Thanks TL I think you are right but I have never been totally clear....it is a dream I have to be that clear and in remission, the closest I have ever got it on my current medication Fumaderm 4 years of happiness. I must admit that it's my first job in the morning to check to see if the patch I have is any larger or starting to scale.....

So it's constantly on my mind that I still have the disease lurking on the background....but to all others who see me " I am clear" I see people with bigger grazes on their elbows than my tiny patch is..

In my mind I'm clear but in reality I still have visible psoriasis slightly  

Having said that - I'm quite happy to live with some psoriasis all the time, I don't expect or chase 100% clear as its not looking that likely anyway, and I don't have a problem with others seeing it, I don't try and hide it or anything. I just think, to describe myself as clear is to not have any at all.

[jiml]

None at all is The ultimate dream TL .    but you're right it's not worth chasing, if we can be happy with a little

[Caroline]

Well I think I can say my skin is normally very clear. 99,9 + %
Extreme small patches, smaller than 1 mm, under my hairline.
With me it is like Bill. Keeping the PsA under control.

[JohnB]

I'm inclined to agree with TL, medically clear can only be no visible signs of Ps. But I think everybody has their own opinion as to what clear is and I think it can change as the disease progresses. For instance at the moment, clear to me will mean no itching, an uninterrupted sleep and very minimal  'snow'. As for the blotches, personally I couldn't give a monkeys. I am quite happy to flash some flesh when the sun is out but I have never been in the situation where I have been on the receiving end of any hassle over the Ps.
I dare say as the orals kick in I may want more   .

What I have realised is how easy it is to underestimate just how bad  your own coverage can be.

[Kat]

I think of clear much as you do Jim, it's relative to the person. I'm not 100% clear, still have problem areas with my ears and along my hairline, but it's so much less than it was before that it's managable. Technically, I guess I'm about 99% clear or there about in body area, but then if you considered only where I had psoriasis at it's worse for me then I'd only be about 75% clear. It's a bit tricky I think to try to figure out, but I'd think that 100% clear would mean no psoriasis present.