Harry's Story

Harry is sharing his story this Psoriasis Awareness Week after living with psoriasis for 6 years. He talks about how he manages his stress levels which is his biggest trigger.

Hello, my name is Harry – I have just turned 26 and have been living with psoriasis for the last 6 years.

My first flare-up happened in my second year of university in 2018, during a time where I was going through a sudden and extremely stressful few months. I started to notice that my face was developing red patches, and my scalp was starting to form small lumps. The worry about these unknown symptoms caused my stress levels to double and, within a few months, I was covered head to toe in guttate psoriasis.

The university GP diagnosed me with psoriasis and gave me Enstilar foam for my body and Dovobet for my scalp. These worked somewhat to keep symptoms at bay but, due to the extent of the coverage on my body, they just weren't enough.

By coincidence, I was due to go on a family holiday to Dubai the following month. The thought of exposing my body in its current state on a beach filled me with dread, but I had heard that sunlight was beneficial to psoriasis.

Cut to four days in Dubai later, and my entire body was completely clear of all my psoriasis – I couldn't believe it. This remission lasted a good number of years, although I did keep it at bay with the occasional use of Enstilar.

In June 2022, I became really ill with some form of infection. It caused some of my symptoms to resurface for the first time in three years. My face become really red and patchy, and some spots developed on my body. It didn't take hold as a full flare up, however, and I managed to keep it at bay with Enstilar and a new ointment I began to use for my face, Tacrolimus.

In spring 2023, I went travelling to America for three months. Whilst I had an amazing time, some of the in-built stresses that come with travelling took a hold, and I started to notice new spots developing on my body. I also at that point decided to stop using steroids cold turkey, as I had become spooked by TSW – I now, however, realise that stopping steroids suddenly was not a good idea!

My skin flared up rapidly, and I watched how more and more spots appeared across my body as 2023 went on. I went to a dermatologist, who recommended UVB light treatment and also suggested I really take a look at my stress management.

It has taken most of 2024 to get here, but my skin is finally the best it has been for nearly two years. I started at-home UVB phototherapy in August, and my skin has almost entirely cleared. I still have some time to go with it, so I'm hoping that it has the same type of effect that Dubai had all of those years back.

I have also taken my stress management very seriously. I have undertaken CBT sessions, started stress-targeted acupuncture, and commenced meditating daily. I still have a long way to go, but I know stress is my main trigger and I am determined to get a hold on it.

To be frank, though, my latest flare up has taken a wrecking ball to my mental health. Until September, not one day of 2024 went by without me agonising over the state of my skin. My self-confidence dropped, and I just felt like I was watching everybody else live their lives whilst mine was on pause.

I am hoping that I've seen the worst of this flare up and better things are in store for the future. I am in the process of getting my mojo back to where it was at the start of 2023. It's been so useful to read about everyone else's stories, and know that we're not alone in this! Wishing you all the very best.