In junior high, America’s Next Top Model CariDee English made the mistake of wearing a T-shirt to school.
“Everyone thought I had poison ivy or scars, or something,” said English, 22, who was in Surrey yesterday to talk about psoriasis, a disease she has battled since age five and that affects one in 30 Canadians.
English, who won Cycle 7 of the popular America’s Next Top Model, said a normal childhood was tough, because thick, itchy scabs covered 70 per cent of her body.
“It just affected everything. I never wore shorts. I never wore T-shirts, tank tops. Buying a prom dress was miserable,” said English, adding she didn’t go to the pool or attend parties in the summer.
English switched medication just before taking part in the show, and has been psoriasis free for the past two years and now works in New York City as a model.
On the show, English, a Fargo, N.D.-native, spoke about her battle with psoriasis and was approached by the National Psoriasis Foundation to raise awareness about the disease.
