A student who was so embarrassed of her psoriasis that she would get up at 6am every day to cover up with makeup has finally embraced the condition after being told her ‘cheetah skin’ looked cool and even ‘sexy’.
Student athlete Sophia Chen, 20, from Colorado first developed psoriasis on her chest when she was 16, and was ‘exhausted’ by trying to find a solution.
But she’s since gradually stopped covering her patches after receiving a flood of comments from people who described her skin as ‘cool’.
She said: ‘My roommate loved how unique it was and she told me that I looked like a cheetah.
‘Also, at the time, Winnie Harlow, the model with vitiligo, was becoming extremely popular and my skin looked similar to hers
‘Some people would say “do you have vitiligo? That’s so cool, your skin is beautiful”. The more I heard it, the more I started to believe it.
‘One of my friends said they look like constellations on my skin. Another guy I met said that my spots were ‘sexy’.
Sophia Chen, 20, (pictured) from Colorado USA who developed guttate psoriasis at age 16, revealed how she learnt to embrace the skin condition
Sophia says she initially thought her psoriasis was a bug bite or spot until it spread to her face within a month, prior to the condition she hadn’t suffered from acne
The student athlete would wake up at 6am daily to hide her skin condition using foundation, concealer and powder
‘Now, I absolutely love my skin. It sure can get annoying when it’s itchy, but when it’s not, I love it. Especially when it starts to heal, and it turns my tanned skin white – I love the look of it.
To begin with, Sophie thought the psoriasis was just a bug bite or a spot.
When it spread all over her body, she went to see five dermatologists who diagnosed guttate psoriasis.
Some recommended that she try tanning beds to heal her skin, while others even suggested chemotherapy.
Sophia visited five dermatologists and was advised to either try using sun beds to heal her skin or chemotherapy to fight the psoriasis
Sophia says pretty much every dermatologist she visited emphasized that there isn’t a cure for her condition
She was left feeling exhausted and lost as she tried to figure out the best way to cure the skin condition.
‘I first got my psoriasis when I was 16 and at first, I thought that it was a spot or bug bite, so it didn’t concern me much,’ Sophia said.
‘Only about a month after I noticed it on my chest, the psoriasis had spread all over my body, including my face.
‘I became so discouraged. I’d never had acne, I always had perfect skin, so I felt the need to cover it up.
Sophia revealed although covering her skin with makeup was tiring and obsessive, she couldn’t leave her house without it
The student athlete began cutting specific food groups out of her diet after a doctor suggested her psoriasis could be related to her nutrition
‘I cried almost every day, which really broke my mother’s heart. At the time, I had no confidence and some days I didn’t even want to go to school because of it.
‘Initially, I tried steroid creams which one of the doctors prescribed me.
‘It was exhausting to apply it on every little spot on my body, it was extremely tedious work and it didn’t really do anything to help me.
‘I went to five dermatologists but pretty much all of them told me there was no cure for me.
‘Some told me that I could use sun beds, which was something that I would never try because of its serious risks.
‘Another told me I could try a version of chemotherapy which was extremely frightening, but I remember thinking I kind of wanted to try it because I was so desperate.
‘Every morning before school, I would wake up at six am to strategically cover up my spots. I never went a day without makeup, even if I was only playing football.
‘It took a lot of concealer, foundation, and powder to cover the spots and make it last throughout a long day of school and sport.
‘It was tiring and excessive, but I wouldn’t step out of the house without it.
‘For the next six months, I wore long sleeves at all times as well as piling on foundation and concealer over the lesions on my face until I saw a doctor who suggested it could be related to my food.’
Sophia (pictured left with a friend) began following a vegan diet in the hopes of curing her psoriasis, however it was difficult to maintain once she went to university
Sophia began cutting out dairy, gluten and alcohol before later turning to veganism in 2016 in attempt to heal her skin.
‘Making these changes really helped but when I started university there weren’t many vegan options, so it came back,’ she explained.
Although following a vegan diet hasn’t completely caused her psoriasis to disappear, Sophia still pursues the lifestyle.
The athlete moved to the University of Albany, where she gained confidence in her skin with the support of her roommate who questioned how much time she spent trying to cover up her patches.
Sophia moved to the University of Albany where she was surprised to be told her unique skin is ‘sexy’ and ‘cool’
Sophia (pictured) received support from her roommate to embrace her skin which helped to gradually stop covering her psoriasis patches
The student athlete revealed she now loves her skin and only finds it annoying when it’s itchy
Sophia (pictured) hopes to show others that they don’t have to hide behind anything, and that they can truly embrace themselves for who they are
Sophia then realised other people weren’t going to be as critical as she assumed.
‘I want to show others that they don’t need to hide behind anything, and they can truly embrace themselves for who they are, no matter what they are dealing with.
‘We were each made unique and that is what makes us beautiful.
‘When I was younger, I was always trying to fit in according to societal standards, but in the end, it broke my confidence and it was exhausting.
‘My life is filled with bliss now that I can accept and love my body the way it is.’
To see more, visit https://www.instagram.com/psoriaseeester/