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My School Support Card

A short note for school that you put together yourself — you decide whether a diagnosis appears on it at all.

My School Support Card

Choose what is difficult at school and how much you want to say. That becomes a short text you can copy, print or hand over as a PDF.

You don’t have to make a card, and you don’t have to tell your school anything. This exists only in case writing it down is easier than explaining it.

Step 1 / 4

What can become difficult at school?

Choose only what applies to you. Nothing is preselected.

What can become difficult at school?
How much to say →

Step 2 / 4

How much should the school be told about the condition?

All three options produce a usable card. You do not have to name a diagnosis in order to ask for something.

How much should the school be told about the condition?
← What’s difficult Anything else →

Step 3 / 4

Would you like to add anything?

Optional. Each sentence appears on the card exactly as written here.

Would you like to add anything?
← How much to say Preview →

Step 4 / 4

Preview

This is your card. You can still change the text after copying it.

As soon as you choose something, your card appears here.

Sharing the card

There is no share link: your card is never given an address on the internet.

This page does not ask for your name, age, school, class, town, body area, medicines or photographs.

For teenagers

Evidence and editorial review

Last editorially reviewed: · Next review:

That HS often begins during adolescence, usually after puberty starts, is described in reviews and in patient information from national health bodies. That it is not contagious and not caused by poor hygiene is well established.

That the condition is often recognised late in young people has been described repeatedly. The reported delays differ substantially between studies, because they use different data sources and definitions.

Quality-of-life research in younger patients consists mostly of small cross-sectional studies. They show that substantial burden can occur even when the skin looks relatively unaffected. They do not support any statement about how often that is the case overall.

A higher rate of new-onset depression among young people with HS has been reported in large retrospective cohorts. That says nothing about any individual — which is why these pages run no test and make no assessment.

Treatment recommendations for adults cannot be transferred to adolescents unexamined. The evidence base in younger patients is more limited, which is why these pages name no medicines and give no age-based treatment recommendations.

On handing HS care from paediatric to adult services, the only HS-specific guidance we found is a short, clinician-facing visit guide, not trial evidence. Large studies show that young people with HS often pass through several kinds of services before diagnosis — paediatricians, family doctors, emergency departments and dermatologists. A 2026 US study of treatment records for 6,659 children with HS found that most stayed on their first treatment for about a year before it was changed. None of this shows that a handover checklist improves outcomes; it explains why an accurately carried-forward history is worth having, which is all the handover page claims.

Editorial policy and review process

What is Acne Inversa? The basics of the condition, scientifically researched, editorially reviewed, and readable without prior knowledge. What HS can look like An illustrated, non-diagnostic guide to affected body areas and skin changes. When to get medical help The page to turn to when it is unclear whether something needs looking at quickly. HS, Shame & Stigma Why shame is so common with this condition — and how to prepare a conversation. Hair removal with HS Shaving, trimming, waxing and laser hair reduction compared — a common question in the teen years. Find a specialist A directory of practices and clinics with experience in treating HS. Patient stories Accounts from people living with HS — lived experience, not evidence. Taking Over Your HS Care A private checklist for keeping your treatment history, appointments and questions together when your care starts becoming more your responsibility. Studying With HS For later: a private planner for university, training and exams.

Sources

  1. Hidradenitis suppurativa — overview, including onset often after puberty and that the condition is not contagious NHS (United Kingdom) · Link checked: 2026-08-07
  2. Hidradenitis suppurativa self-care — why washing and scrubbing do not prevent the condition American Academy of Dermatology · Link checked: 2026-08-07
  3. Hidradenitis suppurativa — onset usually after puberty, arising from several interacting factors MedlinePlus Genetics, US National Library of Medicine · Link checked: 2026-08-07
  4. Diagnostic delay in paediatric and adolescent hidradenitis suppurativa — reviews and cohort studies PubMed, US National Library of Medicine · Link checked: 2026-08-07
  5. Quality of life in younger patients — predominantly small cross-sectional studies PubMed, US National Library of Medicine · Link checked: 2026-08-07
  6. New-onset depression among children and adolescents with hidradenitis suppurativa — retrospective cohort studies PubMed, US National Library of Medicine · Link checked: 2026-08-07
  7. Guideline work on special patient populations, including paediatric patients PubMed, US National Library of Medicine · Link checked: 2026-08-07
  8. Toledo et al., “A visit guide for adolescent hidradenitis suppurativa: Bridging the divide between pediatric and adult care” (JAAD International, 2022) — the clinician-facing visit guide behind the handover page PubMed, US National Library of Medicine · Link checked: 2026-09-29
  9. Hallock et al., “Differences Between Children and Adults With Hidradenitis Suppurativa” (JAMA Dermatology, 2021) — 1,094 paediatric vs 7,633 adult patients; contact with paediatricians, family doctors, emergency departments and dermatology before diagnosis PubMed, US National Library of Medicine · Link checked: 2026-09-29
  10. Aflatooni et al., “Treatment Patterns in Pediatric Hidradenitis Suppurativa” (Pediatric Dermatology, 2026) — 6,659 children with HS; a mean of 386 days on the first treatment before switching PubMed, US National Library of Medicine · Link checked: 2026-09-29
  11. Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation — patient organisations and materials, explicitly including families HS Foundation · Link checked: 2026-08-07