GEORGIA CROWTHER: The psoriasis? Yes, it’s itchy, sore but the actual pigmentation that it leaves I actually really
like. I think it looks nice, I think it looks pretty, and it makes me different.
GEORGIA CROWTHER: The bits thats I’ve got on my belly, I’ll show you. They're sort of, just like bits here.
When my psoriasis itself heals and the scars are left, it looks a bit like a dalmation so that’s where I’ve adopted
the name “Dalmatian Skin”. And then I’ve got a few bits on my back as well, I don’t know if you can see.
When my skin does flare up, it can be very itchy, very, very painful you know. It can be to the point when
I’m bathing, showering three or four times a day. Ingredients in this are borage and avocado oils.
Echinacea, can’t pronounce that, a natural source of vitamin E. Because it’s so dry, I just need to keep it
moisturised. This feels like it's normal now, it's kind of like a part of me, it’s part of who I am.
GEORGIA CROWTHER: With psoriasis, it isn’t just a physical issue, it is mental and emotional as well.
It can be so difficult to deal with, you have this image of yourself in your head about the way you should look.
KATIE CROWTHER: There’s so many times that it has been really bad and it's always affected her because it's
so visual. I know that the people have judged her by it and have been very unkind to her. We just used to tell her
that she was beautiful. It didn’t matter what she had on her skin really, because she was.
So do you remember that? That’s when you first more or less got psoriasis, wasn't it? Do you think? Is that right?
GEORGIA CROWTHER: I don’t know, how old I was there?
KATIE CROWTHER: You look like you’re about six there. This one here is when we went to Skiathos and you can
see how bad your skin was there. When she was very young, not long after she got it, we went swimming.
We always went swimming, and there was a mum with another child in there that dragged the child away and
said, ‘Don’t get near her, you’ll catch whatever she’s got”, so that was very unkind, wasn’t it?
INTERVIEWER: Did you respond to her? KATIE CROWTHER: I certainly did.
GEORGIA CROWTHER: I think growing up with psoriasis has been extremely tough, however it’s made me the
person I am today. When people often say to me, 'Would you change not having psoriasis?'
As silly as it sounds, I most probably wouldn't and for that I’m grateful.
GEORGIA CROWTHER: I think on a day to day basis, I don’t necessarily think too much into my psoriasis.
It’s part of who I am, it’s something I’ve dealt with and lived with for the last 18 years. It’s not necessarily until
an occasion comes up where its like, “Oh ok, I’m going to have to wear this dress but I can see a little bit of
psoriasis on my back or on my arms or on my legs, I really stop to think about it and start to worry about it.
GEORGIA CROWTHER: I think the way I’ve learned to cope with having psoriasis is by
just taking my own initiative.
GEORGIA CROWTHER: If I have it the way I have it now then it’s totally manageable and liveable, but I do believe
there are ways of curing psoriasis and I think knowledge is key.
GEORGIA CROWTHER: It’s afternoon, I’m going to make a typical lunch that I would normally make for myself:
a smoothie bowl, it's going to be packed with lots of fruit, lots of veg, lots of nuts, lots of seeds.
I’ve now adapted a vegan diet, I mean, I’m filling my body with all natural products, all greens, all fruits, all veggies.
GEORGIA CROWTHER: My psoriasis this year is the best it has ever been and that’s purely because I am dealing
with it from within rather than just putting a steroid cream on it. If you kind of stop and think about it, it is a
no-brainer and I mean, you are what you eat. When I decided to go vegan, it’s always been quite apparent to
me that diet is the main thing that I need to look at.
KATIE CROWTHER: Every time her skin clears up, she is a different person. She is like the old Georgia,
you get the old Georgia back, every time.
GEORGIA CROWTHER: I’ve created an Instagram based on my psoriasis to raise awareness just to reach out
to show people my journey. I basically want to give to people what I didn't have when I was growing up with
psoriasis. My first post on Instagram, at the beginning, it was very, very daunting.
And then the amount of support and the likes and the comments, all the fear went away.
GEORGIA CROWTHER: I felt so alone growing up with the condition that I don’t want anyone else
to feel the way that I felt.
GEORGIA CROWTHER: When someone messages you and says, “You inspire me”, it’s amazing, I can’t explain
how that feels. I believe I was given psoriasis because I’m a strong enough person to deal with it and because
I know that I can do amazing things with it. It's part of you, it's not everything about you, it's just a small, very
small part of who you are as a person. If people aren’t accepting and don’t love you for who you are,
then you don’t need them people in your life.