Sophie's story

My name is Sophie, I’m 21 years old, and alongside my pageant journey I’m a skin health advocate. I use my social media to share the reality of living with eczema and Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW), hoping to help other people feel less alone and more confident in their own skin. Growing up in foster care taught me resilience from a young age, and I think that has shaped the way I approach every challenge I’ve faced since. I’ve lived with eczema for as long as I can remember, having been diagnosed as a child.

Although I’d heard of Eczema UK before, it wasn’t until my skin became significantly worse that I really discovered the incredible work they do in supporting people and raising awareness of what life with eczema is actually like.

My experiences with eczema

For me, eczema has never just been “dry skin.” It affects every part of life. At my worst, I became housebound. My skin burned constantly, bled, oozed, cracked and shed everywhere. Sleeping became difficult because the itching would wake me throughout the night, and even simple things like getting dressed or having a shower could be painful. Emotionally, it can be incredibly isolating. There are days when you don’t recognise yourself in the mirror and wonder if your skin will ever improve.

One of the biggest misconceptions about eczema is that it’s “just a rash” or something you can fix with a good moisturiser. In reality, it’s a complex condition that affects physical health, mental wellbeing, sleep, confidence and everyday life. People often don’t see the hours spent managing it behind closed doors or understand how exhausting it can be.

Entering the Miss GB pageant

When I entered Miss Great Britain, I was still in the middle of that journey. Just weeks before the competition I honestly didn’t think standing on a stage would be possible. But that became exactly why I wanted to do it. I realised I had a choice: I could keep waiting for my skin to be perfect before living my life, or I could start living anyway. I wanted other people with visible skin conditions to see that confidence doesn’t begin when your skin clears, it begins when you stop letting your skin decide what you’re capable of.

Preparing for the pageant certainly wasn’t easy. I was still managing daily flares, and just before my fashion walk my legs flared badly. But instead of letting that knock my confidence, I walked out anyway. To then win the Fashion Award and finish as First Runner-Up made the moment even more meaningful. It reminded me that people notice your confidence far more than they notice your skin.

Looking back, there wasn’t one particular moment that made the competition special. It was the fact that I stood on that stage as my authentic self, skin and all. A few months earlier I would never have believed I could do that, yet there I was proving to myself that my skin no longer controlled my life.

Since sharing my journey online, I’ve received messages from people of all ages telling me they’ve gained confidence because they finally saw someone who looked like them refusing to hide. Those messages mean more than any title ever could. They’ve shown me that being vulnerable can genuinely change someone else’s perspective.

If I could say one thing to the eczema community, it would be this:

Don’t wait for perfect skin before you start living. Your worth has never been measured by your skin, and neither is your potential. Eczema may be part of your story, but it doesn’t have to be the thing that writes your future.

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A couple of weeks ago, we shared Natalia's story, who was also competing in the Miss GB competition while living with eczema. Sophie came across the post and got in touch with Natalia, and the two ended up meeting up at the pageant!