2 days ago
Content creator reveals life with consuming skin condition
A 25-year-old woman has revealed why she chose to go topless in order to help other people just like her who suffer with an all-consuming skin condition.
Rosie Daniels, who is one half of content creator couple Rosie and Harry, first found signs of psoriasis on her scalp when she was between 10 and 12 years old. From the moment she was diagnosed, an overwhelming feeling of shame and self consciousness clouded her every thought.
'I think my first ever memories of having psoriasis was always being super self conscious if I had to tie my hair up at school,' Rosie told
'I'd always go to school with my hair down just to be able to cover it up. As soon as I had to tie it up for cooking or P.E. I'd be very hesitant and embarrassed.
'I remember saying to my mum that I was so scared that if I found a boyfriend, I don't think I could tell him I had psoriasis on my scalp. I always used to ask her how I was supposed to cover it up for the rest of my life.'
As Rosie got older, the psoriasis began to appear in patches on her arms, stomach and legs. But it was so small that it took her a while to even notice. From that point, it just kept spreading.
The 25-year-old said her psoriasis is one of the most chronic and severe types, and will always be present in some form on her body. She said the last five years have been dominated by the skin condition.
'It ruined my life completely,' she said.
The young woman explained that at one point, she didn't understand how she could ever feel positive in her body. She'd compare herself to other women with clear, tanned skin and felt 'unworthy of love'.
'I thought that Harry shouldn't be with me, and I should be alone until I was able to look a certain way,' she said.
'It was horrible. I felt like the most unattractive person in the entire world, and everybody else was above me. I thought I was disgusting.'
Rosie said she couldn't get past the way it looked, revealing she didn't want to leave the house or wear certain types of clothing that didn't cover up the auto-immune condition. She couldn't go to the gym, sleep properly or ever feel comfortable being naked in front of her fiance, Harry.
It also had an impact on her mental health, making her feel incredibly low.
But, over the last year, Rosie has been able to look at her skin in a new light — something she never thought was possible. She is now proud of how unique she is, saying she now focuses on how she is physically feeling within her body — rather than how her body appears to others.
'It just got to the point where I had looked at it in a certain way for so long that I had reached a point of acceptance,' she said.
'I genuinely think that it's just about time, surrounding yourself with the right people and looking at the right things on social media.'
Rosie said even now, she avoids watching shows such as Love Island. She said even though she loves the series, and admires the way the women look, and she compares herself to them.
'That's why Harry and I produce content that is so real and relatable, because it's what I wish I could have consumed five years ago because it would have made my journey a million times easier,' she said.
Rosie and Harry met seven years ago, at a pub in London, and she said she doesn't remember having a conversation with Harry about the fact she had psoriasis, adding it was like it was 'accepted and known from day one'.
During their relationship, Harry has been a huge support system for Rosie, helping to wash her hair, making sure their house was filled with non-toxic products and helping her maintain a diet that didn't anger her skin. However, the main thing Harry has done is constantly reassure Rosie that she always has his support.
The pair have a public platform — boasting 712,000 followers on their joint Instagram account — and Rosie said Harry was the one who helped encourage her to show her skin on social media.
'Back in 2020, I would post photos on Instagram and use Face Tune to edit out psoriasis patches on my stomach. If I was wearing jeans and a top, I would zoom in and actually edit out the patches and recover them with 'normal colour skin',' she said.
'And I remember one day Harry saw me doing it, and he was like 'Why don't you not edit it out one day and post it, and see what happens'.'
He said he didn't think anyone would say anything, so Rosie trusted him completely and posted an unedited bikini picture. Positive support from fans instantly flooded in, ultimately encouraging the young social media star to use her platform to speak about psoriasis.
This includes a recent Instagram video, posted on @rosieandharry, featuring Rosie having every patch of psoriasis on her back turned into a flower to prove that it was always a 'masterpiece' and never something to be ashamed of.
For others out there who may be going through the same thing, Rosie said the way that you look doesn't determine your life path or how people view you — it's the person who you are underneath that does that. She said confidence isn't something that people are born with but a skill that you need to spend time learning.
Rosie is sharing her story as part of Psoriasis Awareness Month.
'I genuinely feel from the bottom of my heart that my purpose and calling in life is to help other people learn to love the body and skin their in,' she said.
'Whether they have a skin condition or struggle with something else, I feel like my purpose is to help people love the skin their in so with every video I put out or interview I do, I hope it helps one person feel better and what they have is completely normal.'
