Shigaraki Tomura's skin condition: a comprehensive guide!
Now that we all collectively agree that Tomura has psoriasis thanks to that one person on Tumblr who made a post about it, here's how to properly characterise it! Coming from someone with psoriasis on her face and body.
A little recap as to why it makes sense for Tomura to have psoriasis:
Psoriasis has a tendency to show up during childhood, and very commonly appears on the face. The stress that led to Tomura's itchy skin was due to his father's abuse. Psoriasis cannot be fully treated. There are creams that help soothe and even remove some plaques, but the illness itself is still there and will reappear as soon as there is cause for flare-ups, which is why his itchiness never fully goes away. Psoriasis plaques also have a tendency to crack, dry and bleed, especially after scratching them. The skin becomes flaky, red and breaks very easily. The illness may also be the cause of pain in joints.
Where psoriasis appears on the body:
Psoriasis can appear anywhere on the body. The face, the scalp, the chest, each limb, and even on more intimate parts of the body. While it is most commonly found on the head, various factors can make it spread (see 'what causes flare-ups'). The affected area makes the skin dry and itchy and covers it in a sheet of dead skin that turns flaky. However it can look or act differently depending on where it is on your body. The areas where the skin stretches and bends a lot tend to crack (fingers, knuckles, knees) while the areas with less movement tend to flake.
Personal headcanon: Tomura has plaques (red patches of affected skin) around his eyes, hairline, on his forehead, neck, chest and back. This is part of why he enjoys being shirtless whenever he can, as the fabrics often irritate the plaques and don't allow them to breathe, and therefore heal, correctly.
Eating habits play a MASSIVE role in psoriasis. There isn't really a specific diet when it comes to this illness, more like a random list of things you can and can't eat. Personally I've always had problems with citrus fruits, especially lemons. A single lick of one was enough to get me itching myself for a whole day, so I know to avoid those. However, this is not the case for everyone with psoriasis!
You can find a more detailed list on Google, but here are some things that can make people with psoriasis flare up: processed sugar, regular sugar, nightshade vegetables (eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes (personally I react badly to eggplants, but I'm mostly fine with potatoes)), citrus fruits, ginger, red meat, highly processed foods (cereal, fried chicken, etc), alcohol, dairy products, and gluten.
Keep in mind that a lot of what I write here varies from person to person, so feel free to make your own headcanons!
Personal headcanon: I headcanon him to be extremely bad with highly processed foods, which makes him want to learn how to cook homemade meals and bake :)
Stress, bad nutrition, bad hygiene, wounds, dry skin, sweat, very low or high temperatures. Again, some of these affect some people more than others.
Stress is the core problem of psoriasis and the highest overall cause for flare-ups. You don't have to be in an extreme situation to feel stressed. Hell, you might not even realise you feel stressed, but your brain has already pumped cortisol into your bloodstream and your skin is giving you hell for it.
Hygiene is very important because sweat and dirt can cause the plaques to flare and itch. For some people with psoriasis, a bit of dirt is inconsequential. For others, a mere touch from another person who didn't wash their hands can make you feel like it's your worst day ever. This is why plaques can easily form in armpits, on your head under your hair, and on your intimate parts, where bacteria and sweat accumulate the most.
Wounds and injuries can also turn into plaques as they heal. For example, Tomura's gunshot wounds on his limbs in season 1 most likely turned into very itchy flared up patches.
Whether you have dry or oily skin, both are at great risk of flaring up. Dry skin because the skin dries and therefore cracks. Oily skin because of the sebum and bacteria in the pores.
Personal headcanon: Tomura is extremely susceptible to stress. We see this in canon, since he itches himself every time something doesn't go to plan or frustrates him. He also has very dry skin. His body temperature is naturally lower, which makes him able to wear hoodies even in summer. However, his lifestyle makes him very prone to flare-ups due to bad hygiene and unfavorable nutrition.
What helps calm them down:
Omega 3 helps a LOT. Sometimes even more than the medication. You can find Omega 3 in nuts and fish most of the time. Cold water always helps with itchy skin, especially if you wash yourself. Moisturisers help prevent psoriasis, but don't necessarily soothe it, unless it's specifically for that purpose.
How to write a Tomura Shigaraki with psoriasis:
Don't be afraid to make it seem uncomfortable and a little yucky. Psoriasis is an illness that sticks out like a sore thumb and there's no need to sugarcoat it! On the contrary, it makes us people with psoriasis feel seen!
In a canon villain setting, Tomura is in constant suffering. Bad hygiene, bad nutrition, with no luxury of having the necessary products and medications (whether it's a cream or pills) to soothe his pain. Especially because Tomura himself probably doesn't know what he has. All For One most likely even took this to his advantage to increase his rage and hate by leaving him in constant discomfort.
Excessive psoriasis on the skin grows thick, is very painful, and can even begin to smell bad, since the skin is essentially dying. There would be pieces and flakes of dead skin under his nails, sometimes even blood. His emotions are easy to read to outsiders because the slightest inconvenience makes him itch himself. If the flare-ups are very bad, it's possible for flies to become attracted to the dead skin and sit on a patch of psoriasis.
In an AU, for example a college or rehabilitation AU, Tomura has way more opportunities to heal. He'd probably have anywhere from 5 to 8 different shower products just because he's not sure which one helps and which one makes the itching worse. He'd wake up grumpy in the morning and complain while rubbing the cream into his plaques. Showers would feel euphoric for him, washing away not only stress but also relieving his itchy skin.
I hope this little guide helps people who struggle with portraying Shigaraki correctly! Still, whether you choose to make it realistic or stick to Tomura's simple itchy skin with no medical labels, both are totally valid and up to you. I'm comfortable and open to answering any questions people might have, so don't hesitate to ask about the illness if you need more info!! And if you also have psoriasis and feel like this post is missing something, let me know!! 💕
