I suffered with psoriasis for a decade and the drugs ruined my skin

For 14 years, Shannon Higham battled red, inflamed and unbearably itchy patches of scaly skin that covered her body and scalp.

‘When my skin is itchy, I can’t help but scratch it – even when the blood starts to run,’ she says.

‘I rarely wear my hair up because of the scaly patches on my hairline and down my neck. It left me mortified.’

It would take Shannon more than a decade to find a solution to her psoriasis, which involved radically changing her diet and skincare routine.

Shannon, now 26, was diagnosed with psoriasis – an autoimmune condition affecting more than one million Britons – at just 12 years old, something she believes was triggered by hormonal changes.

She was prescribed a topical steroid cream, which initially brought relief. But it did little to protect her from the cruelty of classmates.

‘I remember a boy at school said my head looked like a snow globe because of my flaky skin,’ she recalls.

‘I went home and cried to my mum – I felt so embarrassed. No matter how many specialist shampoos I used, it didn’t get any better.’

Even at the height of summer, Shannon would cover up.

‘When everyone else was in short sleeves, I’d still wear long-sleeved shirts because I didn’t want people to see the patches on my arms,’ she says.

‘My skin would get so itchy it would bleed through my white shirt. It completely shattered my confidence.’

The comments didn’t stop.

‘I remember a boy asking me in PE, “What are those dots all over your legs? Have you got chicken pox?” After that, I refused to wear shorts and stuck to leggings.’

While the steroid creams worked briefly, the inflammation would quickly return.

Years of use also came at a cost.

‘I feel betrayed by the doctors who prescribed them for so long because no one warned me about the side-effects,’ she says.

‘I have indentations all over my body where the steroids thinned my skin. They look like deep chicken pox scars – I knew I’d be marked for life.’

During college, Shannon, from Manchester, returned to the dermatologist and was offered phototherapy – a treatment using controlled UV light to reduce inflammation. UV rays are thought to help by suppressing the overactive immune system.

She attended sessions three times a week, with exposure gradually increased.

But the treatment was far from comfortable.

‘Around 90 per cent of the time I’d leave with these big white goggle marks because my skin had burned,’ she says.     

Although it helped temporarily, her psoriasis returned within a year.

It wasn’t until her twenties that Shannon began to notice a surprising trigger.

‘Through trial and error, I worked out that things like fizzy drinks really triggered psoriasis flare-ups on my face and arms.

‘My mum was always telling me to cut back on sugar and certain foods, but as a teenager I just thought, “Oh, shut up, Mum, I want to eat what I want.” Now I wish I’d listened.

‘It wasn‘t until I got older that I noticed that if I had something like a can of Coke, the next day my eyebrows, hairline and face would flare up,’ she explains.

‘Over time, it was obvious that if I’d had something with high sugar content the next day, I would be paying for it.‘

Determined to tackle the condition, she decided to overhaul her diet.

‘I cut out sugar and avoided ultra-processed foods because I realised they were making my skin really angry.’

Ultra-processed foods – which include ready meals, ice cream and even some sauces – are a staple of the modern British diet and are often packed with additives, sugar and preservatives.

A 2024 study published in JAMA Dermatology found that people who consumed high levels of such foods had a significantly increased risk of developing psoriasis, with researchers suggesting they may fuel inflammation in the body.

Experts believe psoriasis is linked to an overactive immune system, which speeds up skin cell production. While skin typically renews every three to four weeks, in sufferers it can occur in as little as three to seven days.

Shannon says she noticed a change almost instantly. 

‘My skin cleared up quickly,‘ she says. ‘It happened within four weeks once I stopped having these things that were triggering my symptoms.‘

As well as changing her diet, Shannon also simplified her skincare routine – cutting out fragranced products and fake tan, which she found aggravated her condition.

She began using ISOSKIN hypochlorous acid spray, an antimicrobial compound known to help calm inflammation.

Hypochlorous acid is a natural byproduct of the body’s immune response, produced by white blood cells to fight bacteria and infection.

Early research suggests that hypochlorous acid may improve psoriasis symptoms.

Some experts argue that because it mimics the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of the substance the body naturally produces, hypochlorous acid sprays can help both kill bacteria and reduce inflammation.

However, others stress that – while safe to use – hypochlorous acid is not an approved NHS psoriasis treatment. 

‘The first time I used it, I sprayed my entire hairline and slept in it overnight,’ Shannon says.

‘The relief I felt the next morning was incredible. It wasn’t itchy or inflamed – it just felt calm.

‘As well as cutting out sugar which dealt with the inflammation internally, I used the hypochlorous spray, which soothed my skin on the outside. 

‘It was a quick turnaround and I saw improvements within weeks. It was like my skin was thanking me.‘

She now uses it twice daily and says flare-ups clear within weeks.

Dr Philippa Kaye, a London GP, says that, while there is evidence that lifestyle changes may help with psoriasis, there is little to support the use of hypochlorous acid.

‘Psoriasis is an inflammatory condition so eating a healthy low-inflammation diet will likely help, though it won’t cure patients. 

‘Hypochlorous acid is meant to have mild antibacterial properties. It‘s a trendy treatment, and safe to take, but there‘s not evidence to call it a psoriasis treatment. It’s not something that GPs would use.‘

However, Shannon says the combination of diet changes and the skin care product have had a profound effect. 

‘My friends and family still comment now on how much my skin has cleared up,‘ she says.

‘They saw me through my worst times and how angry my skin would be, so doing something such as having my arms out would have them give me an instant compliment.‘

‘My confidence has improved massively,‘ she says. ‘I still get the odd flare-up if I drink cocktails or get stressed – but nothing like before.‘

And her biggest takeaway?

‘It sounds so simple but learning my triggers changed everything,‘ she says.

‘I don’t miss fizzy drinks at all – if anything, I’d choose water every time now.‘

Reflecting on her experience, she says: ‘If I could go back in time, I’d listen to my mum telling me to cut out sugar and I’d never have touched the steroid creams. 

‘They cleared my skin for a bit, but now I’m left with scars and white patches I can never get rid of.‘