SKIN DEEP - BIG health story

Jade Merrilies, 28, from East Wittering, battled for years with her skin...

- KEZIA REYNOLDS

Putting my fingers to my face, I could feel my skin flaring up.

It was so dry and sore, with patches of red poking through.

Aside from some teenage acne, which had cleared up in my late teens, I had relatively good skin.

And up until now, I had thought any bad skin days were behind me.

Only, in 2018, my skin began to randomly flare-up more and more regularly.

I had no idea why this had happened-I had made no major diet or lifestyle changes the flare felt completely out of the blue.

'It's so painful, I would tell my husband, James, 30.

We'd been together since we were 13 and he'd seen my acne as a teen-so he knew that this was different.

'Why don't you go to the doctors?' he suggested.

I went back and forth with my GP about six times.

It could be psoriasis, they told me.

Handed moisturisers, steroid cream, and a face wash that irritated my skin more, I was at a loose end.

And what's more, I felt so self-conscious about heading out in public.

Scooping heavy-duty foundation onto my face, I wanted to hide my skin from the world.

I began using heavy makeup for family meals and dates, and as my skin got worse, I began covering up at work.

My friends and family knew I felt I anxious about my skin and were supportive.

'You look lovely, they'd tell me.