I won’t let psoriasis define me

“My name is Jude Avril Duncan, I’m 26 and from a small town called Gourock, Scotland. I have had psoriasis for almost 6 years. My psoriasis mostly affects my face, scalp and pubic area. I also have small patches on my arms and legs and a big patch in and around my belly button.

I was first diagnosed with psoriasis in my early 20s. I had just started my third year at university and noticed a small red mark growing above my left eyebrow. I wasn’t sure what it was and went to the doctor after a few weeks when it didn’t go away. I’ve always had many skin issues from adult acne to shingles, and lots of rashes and reactions. 

My doctor thought it was just another reaction or rash and that it would die down soon with some steroid cream. I went away and started using the cream to no affect. After a few months, I decided to go back to the doctor as my patch was getting bigger and that is when I was told I had psoriasis. 

At the start of my journey, I got really upset about my psoriasis, which had a major negative effect on my mental health. But then I started to think that I couldn’t be the only person out there with psoriasis and after a quick search on social media, I realised there was a whole host of beautiful people out their championing psoriasis and how each psoriasis warrior is so much more than how their skin looks. When I posted the first photo of my psoriasis and shared my journey with the world, I was overwhelmed with the positive response. I started to feel better about my skin and the way I felt about my psoriasis changed. 

My motto in life is that I am ‘living with, not defined by!’, I constantly remind myself of this for all of my conditions. They are part of me, but they in no way shape or form define me.”

Find out how we support patient organisations and patients, like Jude, here. 

MAT-69502 November 2023