When I was fourteen years old I noticed a large white patch appearing on my back. I had recently been on holiday and had spent a lot of time sunbathing. Gradually more marks appeared down my back, on my tummy and under my breasts. They also changed to a dark, slightly shiny appearance.

I am now thirty-two and the marks have not gotten any worse or any better. The doctors were baffled at first. It was a few years before it was diagnosed as morphea, but the information I was given about the condition was very poor.

One thing I often wonder about is whether this condition could have been caused by a tetanus jab I had a few weeks before I noticed the first mark appearing.

Having morphea, badly affected me as a teenager. I was very conscious of my body and became very depressed about it. It has taken me a long time to come to terms with the way my body looks. I hope one day there will be an effective treatment.