Life-threatening psoriasis made mum look like ‘burns victim’ before finding cure

A mum who was compared to a “major burns victim” has shared her best skin care tips after her incredible recovery from “life-threatening” psoriasis. Primary school teacher Linzi Dunlevy, 37, first started showing symptoms of the skin condition psoriasis over a decade ago. The disease eventually worsened so much that it nearly killed her and covered 67 per cent of her body.

But today, Linzi, from West Lothian, is proud of her skin after discovering what she calls the “perfect” cure after years of trial and error.

Psoriasis affects over one million people in the UK and can start at any age. It causes flaky patches of skin which form scales. Although it is known to run in families, it can also be triggered by stress.

Linzi’s psoriasis reached its worst point in 2015 when she developed a potentially fatal version of the disease. Her aunt had just died and she was moving into a new house. She also said she had an “off the charts” class at the school she was teaching.

She also says her condition, which covered her entire body, was made worse because she was overusing steroids.

“I was 60% covered but nobody had said don’t use steroids on such a large area of your body,” she said.

“I was thinking, this is for my skin. I’ll keep using it. And then that was part of the problem. But that is the go-to treatment.”

She had developed pustular psoriasis, a form of the disease where lots of puss-filled white bumps develop on top of the already scaly skin.

About 24 to 48 hours after the bumps appear, they join together and burst open, leaving the skin raw and tender when the puss dries.

She said: “When I eventually showed people my skin, they kept comparing me to a burns victim. It was so open and sore…

“My mum burst into tears when I showed him my skin,” she said.

Linzi felt embarrassed by her skin, forced to cover up her body as much as possible. She was also left with a terrible itch.

She said: “I’ve seen a positive impact since taking that. I’ve not seen a doctor in a few years, and I’m literally managing my skin just through lifestyle and diet.”

Linzi also said the birth of her daughter Isla in 2017 has given her a mindset shift, which helps her deal better with the return of psoriasis.

“You become obsessed with your skin when there’s an imperfection. You become obsessed with watching it grow and check in for changes and getting bigger,” she said.

“But when I then had Isla, that’s when I thought… that’s not my priority anymore. I don’t really care what my skin looks like. I think becoming a mother sort of shifted my perspective for the better.”