Sofia
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Age at interview: 16
Age at diagnosis: 6
Brief Outline: (Text only clips) Sofia was diagnosed with psoriasis at age 6. She feels that she wasn’t given enough information about her condition as she grew up. She thinks that healthcare professionals should take more time to explain the condition and available treatment options.
Background: Sofia, aged 16, is a sixth form student. Her ethnic background is British Pakistani.
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Sofia was diagnosed with psoriasis when she was 6 years old. Patches of psoriasis started on her legs, but soon spread onto other parts of her body including her scalp, arms, and face. She finds that the psoriasis on her scalp is particularly difficult to treat because it is harder to reach with topical medication. She thinks that genetics (particularly on her father’s side) may be one reason why she has psoriasis. Sofia is more comfortable when she covers her psoriasis with her clothing (e.g. long-sleeved tops). Sofia was often teased for having psoriasis by her peers at school. This has a big impact on her confidence and self-esteem. At age 14, she began wearing a hijab scarf which covers up her psoriasis and she no longer receives nasty comments.
Although Sofia began her treatment with a GP, the majority of her treatment is now led by dermatologists. When she was younger, she was prescribed moisturisers until she was old enough to start using steroids. She used topical steroid creams, but found that they were time consuming to apply and bleached her skin as well as her bedsheets and clothes. This meant that Sofia often skipped this treatment on school days and it lost its effectiveness. She then tried cyclosporine tablets, but decided to quit the treatment after experiencing side effects. Sofia has also tried alternative options such as Indian and Chinese herbal baths, but found neither of these options effective. She notes that although her treatment is currently covered by the NHS, she goes through her prescriptions quite quickly and this may become very expensive after she turns 18. Sofia is currently trialling a new daily gel treatment with higher doses of calcium for one to two months. Sofia’s advice to young people with psoriasis is to follow medical advice and to be consistent with treatment as this will make the condition manageable in the future.
Sofia has learned about psoriasis by visiting websites and reading information on the condition, potential treatments, and people’s individual experiences of psoriasis. She notes that although a lot of treatments are discussed online, a single treatment that is effective for everyone with psoriasis does not exist. Sofia was diagnosed at a young age and feels that she did not receive enough information from many of her previous doctors. However, she recently found a dermatologist who is caring and understanding, and takes the time to answer her questions. Sofia’s advice to healthcare professionals treating young people with psoriasis is to take more time discussing the condition and the available treatments, and to make sure that the young person understands this information.
Although Sofia began her treatment with a GP, the majority of her treatment is now led by dermatologists. When she was younger, she was prescribed moisturisers until she was old enough to start using steroids. She used topical steroid creams, but found that they were time consuming to apply and bleached her skin as well as her bedsheets and clothes. This meant that Sofia often skipped this treatment on school days and it lost its effectiveness. She then tried cyclosporine tablets, but decided to quit the treatment after experiencing side effects. Sofia has also tried alternative options such as Indian and Chinese herbal baths, but found neither of these options effective. She notes that although her treatment is currently covered by the NHS, she goes through her prescriptions quite quickly and this may become very expensive after she turns 18. Sofia is currently trialling a new daily gel treatment with higher doses of calcium for one to two months. Sofia’s advice to young people with psoriasis is to follow medical advice and to be consistent with treatment as this will make the condition manageable in the future.
Sofia has learned about psoriasis by visiting websites and reading information on the condition, potential treatments, and people’s individual experiences of psoriasis. She notes that although a lot of treatments are discussed online, a single treatment that is effective for everyone with psoriasis does not exist. Sofia was diagnosed at a young age and feels that she did not receive enough information from many of her previous doctors. However, she recently found a dermatologist who is caring and understanding, and takes the time to answer her questions. Sofia’s advice to healthcare professionals treating young people with psoriasis is to take more time discussing the condition and the available treatments, and to make sure that the young person understands this information.