Wong told FMT that dealing with psoriasis, a skin condition that causes flaky patches of skin all over the body, was “not only physically but also emotionally scarring” and that she did not want to cower in shame any longer.

“At that point in time, I was very sick of living a lie,” said the 29-year-old.

In 2018, she started a 23-day campaign called Project Naked where she shared pictures and stories of her experience living with psoriasis via social media, which received overwhelming support.

“I realised that I’m not just telling my story but I’m also sharing the story of an entire community who I didn’t know existed and who gave me a lot of courage to keep sharing my journey,” she said.

Wong was ecstatic that others with skin disorders were beginning to open up too, especially during a time when no one was willing to talk about severe skin conditions.

“I think I painted a picture for a lot of people that if you have psoriasis, you can still go to the beach, fall in love, and have a career. Psoriasis is not your identity,” she explained.

Wong was diagnosed with psoriasis at 14 years old but had begun experiencing flaky skin since she was nine.

“It started from my scalp, so every night I would scratch myself to sleep, and I would wake up with blood on my pillowcase,” she said.

“Because the progression was so slow, I didn’t think it was abnormal until I had a family friend over and they checked my scalp and said it wasn’t normal.”

Wong said she was robbed of her teenage years because she felt she was “living a double life” as she had to cover up in school and face the reality of her condition when she got home.

“It was a very sensitive period for a girl because you are a teenager, you just want to wear nice clothes, do stuff in school and talk to boys,” she said.

She also felt like a “lab rat”, constantly having to try conventional and traditional remedies that could not guarantee a cure.

“A lot of times I just felt sad, but I wasn’t aware of what I was really going through. How could I have known that I was grieving for my identity, feeling hopeless for my future,” she said.

Wong is currently a full-time psoriasis advocate and a certified holistic nutritionist, coaching others suffering from skin disorders on how to manage them through diet, lifestyle and emotional healing.

“I have learnt and observed enough with my body and also from others that when they change their diet and the way they live, it gives them a lot of relief,” she said.

Asked what advice she would like to share with others who have skin disorders, she said building a positive relationship with one’s body and accepting it unconditionally was imperative.

“It is important for us to not feel ashamed or judge ourselves, reach out to the community, start connecting with people with these conditions and start living happily,” she said.

“If I want my body to heal holistically and naturally, I need to learn how to love my body as it is and not just loving it when it heals.”

Follow Rocyie Wong on her journey with psoriasis on Instagram.