Brave psoriasis sufferer proudly shows off the painful red welts covering 97% of her body

For almost a decade Giorgia Lanuzza has endured people stopping and staring at her in the street.

She has faced cruel taunts from schoolmates as well as strangers and claims she was left feeling like a 'freak', too scared to look at herself in the mirror.

The 24-year-old has suffered with the painful skin condition, psoriasis since she was 13 years old.

While most people endure small red patches on parts of their body, Miss Lanuzza said around 97 per cent of her body is covered with painful red welts.

But while she has hidden her 'ugly' skin in shame for years, she said she has finally learned to love her skin and is proudly showing off her body, to encourage other women battling psoriasis. 

Miss Lanuzza, from Basingstoke, Hampshire, said: 'People would stop and stare at me in the street.

'My psoriasis looks like red, raised spots and people looked at me as if I was disgusting and they might catch something.

'I felt so self-conscious about the condition that it was ruining my life.

'Stressing about my flare-ups only made them worse - so now I look at my skin with a positive mindset.

'Finally I've come to terms with my skin and have realised that I am beautiful.

'After all these years I finally have confidence in my own skin I want to show other women that their 'abnormalities' could be their strengths.'

The condition triggers red, flaky, crusty patches of skin covered with silvery scales, which are aggravated by stress and heat.

For years Miss Lanuzza said she struggled to accept her skin condition, and covered up in long-sleeved t-shirts and leggings.

Schoolmates, strangers and past boyfriends avoided touching her because they feared her condition was contagious - though she assured them it wasn't.

The 24-year-old reached rock bottom when she was forced to cut short a six month trip to Thailand after realising she could only spent 10 minutes a day in the sun.

Four months on, and she is now bravely embracing her body - and the welts that cover it - by launching a campaign to prove her condition does not maker her any less beautiful. 

Miss Lanuzza first developed psoriasis at the age of 13, when her father Giuseppe Lanuzza died suddenly.

She said: 'The condition is often triggered by trauma, and when I lost my dad I felt like the world had ended.

'My world went to pieces - we were so close when I was growing up, and I couldn't bear losing him.

'Grieving was difficult enough. Then, when these flaky patches started appearing on my skin, I had no idea what was happening.

'At first it was just on my arms and scalp, but gradually, it spread across my entire body - even my face and hands.

'I was just a teenager and all I wanted was to be like other girls my age - wearing make-up, pretty clothes and talking about boys.

'Instead, giant patches of my skin were red and unsightly - I felt like a freak compared to other girls my age and did everything to cover up.

'I tried not to itch the dry patches but, even so, in class other girls would point at my scab-covered arms and say that I was "infected".'

Over the next 10 years, Giorgia was prescribed a cocktail of different creams by dermatologists to tackle her psoriasis.

But, as the condition is chronic and becomes worse in moments of stress, exhaustion and in heated temperatures, Miss Lanuzza said she couldn't escape regular flare-ups.

She added: 'While other girls would dress in strappy tops and go to parties, I spent my teens wearing long-sleeved t-shirts.

'Though I was painfully self-conscious in my early teens, I was determined psoriasis wouldn't rob me of my teenage years.

'I tried to think of them as reminders of my dad, as I'd got psoriasis after he died. That was a comfort, but it was still hard.'

Recently the 24-year-old launched a campaign to embrace the way her body looked including the sore patches.

She said: 'I put together a portfolio of photos of myself in bikinis and other skimpy clothing, to show I wasn't going to hide my psoriasis any more.

'The wounds are red and scab-covered in the photos, but I won't hide them away or edit them. I'm proud of them now - they remind me that I'm strong.'

Miss Lanuzza hopes to encourage other women and girls with her own campaign as well as help the 2 per cent of people suffering from the condition.

She added: 'I am finally realising that I don't have to see my psoriasis as a curse. I know my dad would be so proud of me for my attitude.

'Now I've come to terms with psoriasis, I want to help others do the same.

'We might have conditions that make us look different from other women, but we are still beautiful.' 

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