Yasmin's Story

Yasmin has faced a lot during her 10 years of having psoriasis, but she's no longer ashamed of her skin.

I was first diagnosed with plaque psoriasis in 2014 when I was 16, I had just recovered from an illness but was also going through anxiety and depression. This year will be 10yrs since my diagnosis. I first noticed what looked like a rash on my back, my mum kindly took my to the chemist for advice, they didn't want to come too close to me and I'll never forget the look on their faces, I felt so embarrassed and confused.

I was later referred to dermatology where I was diagnosed with psoriasis, In that moment I never realised how much it would affect my life. I had no idea that it was here to stay, that the condition would worsen or even that it was an autoimmune disease. I was prescribed Dovobet Gel which cleared it up for a couple of days and then returned even worse than before! I then bought a psoriasis book to learn about it and tried to adjust my diet but couldn't commit to it.

At one point I had a couple of small patches on my face, barely noticeable. I went to my local shop and the cashier said "oh gosh what's on your face", meanwhile I had a que of customers behind me. I explained it was psoriasis and her reply was "oh right I thought it was chicken pox, I've never had it before". I got into my car and burst into tears. This condition just kept knocking my confidence and at the time, this was probably the lowest point in my psoriasis journey. I knew I couldn't hide my psoriasis from others.

At the end of 2020 I developed facial psoriasis again but worse than before, it covered most of my forehead and some patches on my cheeks. I worked as a carer at the time and had lots of curious people asking what it was. I was happy to educate people about Psoriasis but at times it did knock my confidence. I decided to try and tackle my skin naturally after purchasing a skin healing expert book. I adjusted my diet drastically which was very hard but I was determined to try and help myself. It took 6 months before my face was 90% clear and other patches had healed from the inside out but not fully, it sort of looked like ringworm. I took pictures most days so I could see the transformation, I was amazed!

As the years went on I did fall back into bad eating habits and my Psoriasis continued to change, heal and move around, particularly around my back and torso. Luckily I could hide this with clothes, summer months were tricky to cover up, but the sun did help. Although, I did end up with hypopigmentation from healed patches which was very sensitive to the sun, I am now very wary of sun exposure, particularly as I have moles and getting sunburnt with psoriasis can make things worse. I always use factor 50 now and still tan!

In 2023 I started the year off in a bad place, my facial psoriasis returned but I used Dovobet ointment to treat it this time. I don't usually like using steroids due to fear of developing Tropical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW) particularly on my face as it's such a sensitive area. As the months went on I joined the gym and my mental health improved, I was at the happiest point in my life. I then made a big change in my career which I later discovered was not the best move to make, I was way out of my depth. My Psoriasis returned worse than ever, it had now spread to my arms, legs and back onto my face and neck. I used topical steroids again but I developed painful perioral dermatitis as a result of TSW.

In December I was at my lowest point I cried so many times over my skin and just wanted to hide away from the world, I didn't even want my family to see me. The upset and stress really did not help my condition so I resigned from my job and have spent the last month at home giving myself much needed self care. Once again I have made adjustments to

my diet and I am already seeing an improvement.

Soon I will be starting a new job, I have vowed to myself not to allow stress and diet affect my Psoriasis this time. I am much more open with family, friends and strangers about my condition, we are only human and very curious creatures! I am starting to love myself again with the support of my family, friends and partner. For all those who have read my story, remember you are beautiful no matter your flaws, reach out for help and never be ashamed of your Psoriasis.

Topical steroids can be effective in the treatment of psoriasis, but should be regularly reviewed with your health professional and used correctly.

If you experience a side effect(s) after using Topical Steroids, we encourage you to report it to the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)’s Yellow Card scheme.