Hannah's Story
Following a traumatic road accident Hannah had to come off her psoriasis medication to undergo surgery. After recovering she is now back on track and feeling positive about her skin.
Click to enlarge
I have had psoriasis from the age of 11, after starting secondary school my psoriasis came progressively worse and worse. Due to the psoriasis impacting my self esteem, I always tried to get out of physical education as they would all look at my skin. It was a tough few years at school and spent most of it being bullied due to my skin condition. Luckily, I had great doctors who realised how much the psoriasis was impacting my life with being so young, I was then referred to a dermatologist when I was 12 years old.
I started off with the basic lotions and ointments but they clearly weren't helping. I then moved on to UV light treatment at the hospital, the UV worked well but it would come back after I stopped the treatment. After a few years of UV treatment I moved onto methotrexate, I tried this for a while and it didn't really have any effect. So the next tablet medication was ciclosporin, this definitely did take the edge off my psoriasis but not completely. The next stage the dermatologists explained was treatment via injections, I started off with Humira. Around 5 years ago I had to go onto Stelara and for 5 years now I have been 99% clear. I had a blip last year were surgeons made me stop the Stelara as I developed a serious infection in my leg resulting in two operations after being run over by a lorry while out riding my horse.
Click to enlarge
Psoriasis has always had a huge impact on my life, feeling like you are different from everyone else, afraid of seeing friends in case you leave scales of skin, choosing what you wear, being shy. The constant burning feeling of raw psoriasis and no amount of cream helps. Now 23 years old, very lucky to have a great dermatologist and so glad the Stelara has eased my psoriasis and now 99% clear for the last 5 years. The odd occasion I get patches in my hair. The older I have got the more I have learned to love my skin, not care what others think and to stay positive at all times.
Read more real-life stories from people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
Danielle
Danielle describes how her psoriasis affected her mental health and school life when she was young, and how, many years later, she has learned to embrace her skin and open up about her experiences.
Georgia
Georgia first noticed her psoriasis patches after bullying made her feel anxious about her appearance and going to school. After regaining her confidence years later she started an awareness campaign to uplift and empower others with psoriasis.
Michelle
Michelle talks about her experiences growing up with psoriasis, from the many treatments she used as a child to supressing her feelings about her skin, and why she is determined not to let the condition define her.
Mollie
Mollie shares her experiences of growing up with psoriasis and how, with the support of her family and friends, she's learned to accept her skin.
Tom
Tom shares his experiences of school and university life while managing his psoriasis and seeking an effective treatment regime.