How I Disguise Steroid Weight Gain

Anyone who has ever taken steroids knows about their side effects all too well. Irritability, weird food cravings, and heartburn are just a few. However, the side effect that many lupus patients dread is unwanted weight gain.

Steroid weight gain doesn’t look like regular weight gain. Steroids flood your system with cortisol, a hormone that causes weight to be unevenly distributed throughout the body. Rather than gaining weight all over the body, patients who take steroids often develop fatty deposits on their upper back, stomach, and on their face.¹

Unfortunately, steroids are a necessary part of managing lupus for many patients. You should never feel embarrassed or ashamed of the changes your appearance goes through when you are doing what you have to do to manage your health.

How I disguise appearance changes from steroids

I know from experience how discouraging and even scary it can feel to look in the mirror and see someone who no longer looks like you. I’ve been on steroids many times during the fourteen years I’ve lived with lupus.

Over the years, I’ve learned how to make the changes in my appearance less noticeable by wearing the following clothes:

Collared shirts

A collared shirt is a great way to hide the lump of fat that can form on your upper back. The collar creates the illusion of a straight line from your neck to lower back. Shirts made with stiff rather than "drapey" fabric work best.

Shirt dresses

Shirt dresses tend to be more structured than other dresses. It is this structure that camouflages fatty deposits on the upper back and stomach. In addition, most shirt dresses have a flared or A-line skirt, which can create fullness in your lower half that balances out stomach fat. The best shirt dresses have either a seam or a tie that separates the top half from the bottom, giving the illusion of an hourglass figure. Look for shirt dresses with stiff fabric and a collar.

Blazers or suit jackets

A blazer is a great structured piece that hides upper back fat as well as creates long, clean lines. The thicker and stiffer the fabric the better.

Ruffles

You can’t always hide fatty deposits on your body. However, you can draw attention to other parts of your body. Ruffles are a great way to do this. Ruffles on a dress or shirt can add volume to places that you want to emphasize, which can take attention away from places on your body that you don’t. For example, wearing a dress with ruffles on the chest area can add volume to your chest, balancing out stomach fat. In the same way, wearing a full or A-line skirt with ruffles adds visual weight to your hips, creating a pear or hourglass shape instead of an apple shape. A tiered skirt can have the same effect.

Flowy dresses

Loose, flowing dresses are an elegant look and in fashion during summer. Long dresses in light, floaty fabrics like chiffon help disguise weight gain.

Wide headbands

In addition to developing fatty deposits, you might also find that steroids cause hair loss. A fashionable way to look like you have more hair than you actually do is to wear either a triangular head scarf or a wide headband in a cheerful floral print or a bright color.

Dark colors

Dark colored clothes and black in particular can create a slimming illusion. A black dress or a pair of black pants are classic pieces that are always in style.