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A body positive influencer has opened up about the struggles with being diagnosed with psoriasis – and how she has now learnt to love the skin condition.
Hannah, 23, who posts on Instagram under the username @h0mesickhan, often oozes confidence as she flaunts her curvy figure to her 8,000 followers.
The mum-of-one from Eastbourne is not shy about ditching her clothes in order to embrace her lingerie clad body.
But Hannah has not always been so brave about embracing herself, as she has admitted her journey to “love” her psoriasis has been difficult – especially when she was diagnosed at just 15-years-old.
Now the influencer and Senior Healthcare Assistant has bared all about her mission of self-love in an exclusive interview with the Daily Star.
Hannah explained: “I was first diagnosed with psoriasis when I was about 15 years old. I had a tiny patch come up on my knee one morning and it just kind of kept spreading over my body pretty quickly from that day onwards.
“Learning to love my psoriasis has been difficult, it was definitely really hard in my teen years.
“I still struggle some days, but I’ve more accepted the fact that it’s never going anywhere. It’s most likely mine for life and it’s part of me that I can’t change.
“Why spend so much of my time in this short life hating something that I can’t change or control? It’s much easier to accept and love the fact that it is part of me and makes me unique as a person.
“It’s taken a lot of work and growth, but I’m getting there!”
And, thanks to her posting body confident snaps, Hannah has become an inspiration to those who also struggle with the condition.
“I think it linked into my body positivity content well and it helped me accept my psoriasis by posting and sharing with others.
“I started to get so many comments and messages from people who had it too and told me how much my posts helped them, which made me feel amazing because I knew my posts were making a difference.
“Sharing my story was helping others accept themselves and relate to me and I love that!”
Despite having received praise for her adoring followers and others who have psoriasis, not everyone has been so kind to Hannah.
Her body positive posts have attracted a barrage of trolls who blame Hannah for her condition.
“I got a lot of nasty comments as a teen and still get some now on social media.
“A lot of comments saying my psoriasis is linked to my weight, I should lose weight, that it’s ugly, I should go to a doctor etc.
“I don’t let it bother me. My psoriasis is due to me having an overactive immune system, my skin develops too quickly, which causes my psoriasis to build up – I like to see it as a skin super power.”
But what those who target the blonde beauty do not know is that she has tried every avenue to try and improve her psoriasis.
She added: “What people don’t realise is I’ve tried all those things.
“I’ve lost weight, been to doctors, dermatologists, everything you can think of. I’m still getting help with easing pain and just making it more comfortable, but it’s nothing as simple as what some people may think.
“I do what’s best for me and I have my own ways to cope with it, I don’t take the negative comments to heart.”
Psoriasis does not currently have a cure so those diagnosed have to apply ointment and creams to attempt to keep the red and crusty patches of skin at bay.
Although the disease is thought to be caused by an immune system response, Hannah has said that many people think it is just an “ugly rash” – which is not the case.
“I think one of the biggest misconceptions that I get a lot is that psoriasis is just an “ugly rash” that needs to be hidden and can be easily gotten rid of, I’ve been told that one A LOT.
“It’s not just a rash, people can get psoriasis for so many reasons and it’s not always easy to clear up. It can go away quickly, it can stay forever. You can get small patches, you can be covered head to toe. Everyone is different.
Hannah urged: “And it’s most certainly NOT ugly.
“If people don’t like it, that is absolutely fine. Not everyone can like everything about everyone, but that does not mean that it is 'ugly' and it does not give people the right to comment negatively on others having it.
“It is a part of me, it is a part of a lot of people and it is normal, it is beautiful, there is nothing wrong with it in the slightest.”
To learn more about psoriasis and to get advice on the skin condition, you can visit the NHS website here.
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