Curing a clothing allergy

[FinchAgent]

Research for a story I'm working on:

You are a scientifically minded young lady of college freshman age. Your roommate has developed a condition such that wearing clothes for an extended period causes her to have trouble breathing, feel overheated, dizzy, nauseous, etc, and she is compelled to strip and remain naked most of the time. She is greatly distressed by this and you want to help cure her condition so that she can wear clothes again. What do you try?

I have a few ideas already, but I'm interested to see what others come up with. This is an unusual request in that it's the opposite of our usual focus: how to get clothes on a girl?

[Executionus]

Step one would be the obvious step of testing specific reactions towards individual clothing materials (wool, cotton, spandex, polyester, natural vs synthetic). Even if all produced some level of effect, there may be differences in severity, delay of onset, or duration of symptoms.

Similarly, experiments related to coverage of the clothing would be needed. Is there a difference between bikini coverage and a burka? Is there a difference between indoors and outdoors? Does heat or cold affect the response?

Once base data is gathered, experiments can begin towards finding types of modest coverage that either do not trigger response, or whose response is delayed or minor enough to allow some reintegration into clothed society. Would a latex paint bikini work? Would medical grade hypoallergenic gauss tape work? Gold is famously the cure for metal allergies in jewelry, wearable by everyone no matter how severe the allergy. Would gold-lined clothing prevent a reaction for this allergy too?

There's also the opposite end of the testing, which is trying to treat the skin itself to see if sensitivity can be reduced. The first idea is testing application of various chemicals and creams. There could also be a possible reduction in sensitivity if she gets a deep all-over tan from sunbathing nude.

Because this allergy produces internal effects (trouble breathing and the like), there is also the very VERY likely case that this is some form of autoimmune disorder. While it would require an actual doctor, the patient would definitely need to try some steroid injections.


I'm aware that half of these suggestions are not really all that sexy no matter how you work them. This is just me looking at the situation scientifically and brainstorming.

[Eoworfindir]

I'd probably try and find out if the breathing trouble and dizziness are psychological effects caused by the fear of the condition coming on. From a college point of view, how long could she sit? Could she sit through one class before the condition arose, or would we need to allow some sort of remote learning where she could attend but still be at home? Nothing sexy.

From a story point of, you could have the friend come up with a treatment to wash her clothes that means she can wear them in comfort but they start to disintegrate after a certain period of time. Perhaps she washes some clothes and an unknowing friend borrows an outfit and learns the hard way?
Or could the college allow her to go naked to class, but that's been written before with Tami. The more interesting story is the college makes any class she sits in a nude-only class, forcing students and teachers to get naked in order to make her feel comfortable, so the ENF/ENM would be the people around her embarrassed.

That being said Textile Dermatitis is a real condition, usually caused by man-made fibers.

[FinchAgent]

Thank you both for your thoughtful responses. You've brought up a few angles and ideas that I hadn't considered.

I'm aware that half of these suggestions are not really all that sexy no matter how you work them. This is just me looking at the situation scientifically and brainstorming.

No problem! This is but one part of a larger story.

From a college point of view, how long could she sit? Could she sit through one class before the condition arose, or would we need to allow some sort of remote learning where she could attend but still be at home?

It worsens day-by-day after onset. At the start, she's getting through most of the day, but within about a week she can only sit for the length of a single class.

[QuietCustom]

I don't have much to add on the scientific front, those two posts are pretty thorough. As her roommate and friend, however, I might try practicing nudism in solidarity with her, so she doesn't feel alone (in private, at least). It doesn't solve her problem, but it might help with the stress. Of course I'd be embarrassed, but anything for a friend?

[Executionus]

It worsens day-by-day after onset. At the start, she's getting through most of the day, but within about a week she can only sit for the length of a single class.

From a medical POV, the allergy escalating at such an extremely rapid rate would be tremendously alarming and almost certainly life threatening. She would definitely need a steroid treatment ASAP and would have to be naked at the hospital until her immuno response was back down to safe levels. Most likely she'd be ordered to stay nude for a long duration afterwards as well and given a doctor's note for the school. She might be given a hypoallergenic cream prescription that would require repeated full body application with her friend's help. There's also a good chance that she's given an inhaler.

There's also the issue of carpets, bedsheets, car seats, and other furniture and wondering how contact and exposure to these things affect her. She may at some point need to escape outdoors against her wishes in the middle of the day to find relief or be forced to sleep nude on a wood or concrete floor somewhere (a very inconveniently public location being the only option).

[GeekGuy]

i can see a point in the story where she is better and has an "attack" out in public and her roommate has to strip her to help her but yet still embarassing her friend. and also even though she has to do so because of her condition she never gets a custom to being naked.

[Dormouse]

How about hypnotherapy. She's still allergic, but she's no longer embarrassed about being naked in public.

[FinchAgent]

I don't have much to add on the scientific front, those two posts are pretty thorough. As her roommate and friend, however, I might try practicing nudism in solidarity with her, so she doesn't feel alone (in private, at least). It doesn't solve her problem, but it might help with the stress. Of course I'd be embarrassed, but anything for a friend?

I had this idea as well and am definitely using it.

From a medical POV, the allergy escalating at such an extremely rapid rate would be tremendously alarming and almost certainly life threatening. She would definitely need a steroid treatment ASAP and would have to be naked at the hospital until her immuno response was back down to safe levels. Most likely she'd be ordered to stay nude for a long duration afterwards as well and given a doctor's note for the school. She might be given a hypoallergenic cream prescription that would require repeated full body application with her friend's help. There's also a good chance that she's given an inhaler.

It's good to know the medical side of this! Though I'm not going to tie myself too slavishly to realism. The origins of her condition are a bit more complicated than textile dermatitis.

There's also the issue of carpets, bedsheets, car seats, and other furniture and wondering how contact and exposure to these things affect her. She may at some point need to escape outdoors against her wishes in the middle of the day to find relief or be forced to sleep nude on a wood or concrete floor somewhere (a very inconveniently public location being the only option).

Of course!

i can see a point in the story where she is better and has an "attack" out in public and her roommate has to strip her to help her but yet still embarassing her friend. and also even though she has to do so because of her condition she never gets a custom to being naked.

This is the tension that I like about this concept. Physically unable to wear clothes, but very shy about nudity.

How about hypnotherapy. She's still allergic, but she's no longer embarrassed about being naked in public.

That's certainly an option! If we can't cure the body, let us cure the mind.

[edithdick]

So first, I want to find out if she is allergic to the material or is the a psychological issue. Try different sorts of material, (Synthetics, 100% Cotton, hemp, locally sourced organics such as grass or banana leaf)

If it is psychological, find out how much of her she can cover before she starts to have her panic attack. Can she wear a bikini? How about just the bottoms or just the top? Can she wear socks or shoes? Sandals? A band-aid?

Finally, I would trick her into thinking she was clothed, when she was in fact naked... maybe with a blindfold or a lights out party... She will start clothed in something very loose fitting and when the lights go out, her clothes will be carefully removed. Once her panic attack starts, turn on the lights and reveal that it is all in her head.