She has psoriasis but is no longer intimidated by the idea of ​​wearing a bikini

Six years ago, at the age of 19, Claire Spurgin was diagnosed with psoriasis. Today the body of the 25-year-old girl is covered with red scaly spots. A time passed with the dominant feeling of fear, which consumed every moment of her life. She was ashamed to appear in a swimsuit or clothes that did not cover her scars, she trembled at the approving comments that would be made by those who saw her.

But now it’s different. The young British woman opened an Instagram account and decided to show the whole world what it’s like to live with psoriasis. Patients should not experience psoriasis in silence. The posting of Claire’s unfiltered photos has only one purpose: to raise awareness about the disease, to show the difficulties it causes in the sufferer’s life, but at the same time that with the right treatment, life goes on.

“This is an accurate picture of what it’s like to live with psoriasis,” Sprurgin wrote under a photo of her back she posted last week. “I’ve accidentally scratched my back and I’ve got a band-aid on my wrist from where it wouldn’t stop bleeding. This photo is from last week when I was experimenting with whether stopping hydration would help the skin me and I can attest to that… it is essential to hydrate your body daily,” she wrote.

Her post garnered over 3,000 likes with many commenters applauding her bravery. “You are beautiful, thank you for empowering people” was a typical comment. “I hope you don’t forget to remind yourself every day how much of an inspiration you are and how beautiful you are,” wrote another.

According to what the 25-year-old told the Daily Star, psoriasis, which is an autoimmune disease, appeared in 2016 after a burn she suffered. “I had a burn on my shoulders and that was the trigger for my psoriasis. The burn never went away, my shoulders got even drier and then the spots appeared. Then it started spreading all over my body. You may have the psoriasis gene, but it may never trigger,” he said.

At the beginning, as he pointed out, he was confident, then the situation became difficult. “It took me years to accept my skin and not feel intimidated to wear a bikini on the beach,” she points out. That Instagram but it was what made the psychological “transition” easier, made her not want to hide anymore. “There is no cure for psoriasis. The best cure is acceptance» he emphasizes.

Psoriasis in numbers

• According to the American Academy of Dermatology, psoriasis is a common skin condition that affects about 7.5 million people nationwide — though most cases are milder than Spurgin’s.
• Psoriasis occurs in all age groups, but is mostly seen in adults, with the highest rate between the ages of 45 and 64.
• About 25-30% of people with psoriasis experience joint inflammation that causes arthritis symptoms. This condition is called psoriatic arthritis.
• About 80% of people with psoriasis have mild to moderate disease, while 20% have moderate to severe psoriasis that affects more than 5% of the body’s surface area.
• The most common form of psoriasis, affecting approximately 80-90% of psoriasis patients, is plaque psoriasis. It is characterized by red spots, which have a surface and look like scales.
• In 2013 the total direct cost of psoriasis-related treatment was estimated to be between $51.7 billion and $63.2 billion.