'DAY-TO-DAY STRESS NEARLY COST ME MY LIFE

LINZI DUNLEVY OPENS UP ABOUT SUFFERING WITH PSORIASIS AND THE LIFE-CHANGING EFFECTS IT HAS HAD ON HER

-  ALI GRAVES

Kim Kardashian, Love Island star Olivia Bowen and Strictly Come Dancing’s Aljaž Škorjanec have something in common: they suffer from psoriasis. The autoimmune condition causes raised scaly patches on the skin which form itchy, flaky scales.

It’s usually the result of skin cells replacing themselves faster than they should. On average, skin cells renew in three to four weeks. For those with psoriasis, the process only takes three to seven days.

In the UK, one in 50 people are affected, and with the result ranging from mild irritation to extreme pain, the impact on daily life and self-confidence can be huge.

To mark Psoriasis Action Month, primary school teacher and mum-of-one Linzi Dunlevy, from West Lothian, tells us how her condition nearly proved fatal.