'I became a recluse after I was left with painful red sores all over my face'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Alexandra Maguire had always suffered with sensitive skin. But she never could have imagined what would happen after one day last year when she accidentally spilled hair dye on her face.

The new mum, from Manchester, suffered a horrific allergic reaction to the dye, and was prescribed a strong steroid cream by her doctor.

After five weeks, she hadn't seen any improvement so stopped using the cream. But to her horror, her face began to swell and flake, resulting in painful sore patches across her face. READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community The 29-year-old became so self-conscious she would avoid leaving the house for fear of 'being stared at' by strangers, as she feared her condition would never improve.

She also couldn't face going to work as an office supervisor and had to take time off on sick leave, as her skin condition became worse. "It got to a point where I worried that this was how it was going to be for the rest of my life, which was just horrible," she told the PA News Agency. "Dropping my daughter off at nursery every day became a nightmare and I’d have panic attacks because I didn’t want anyone to look at me.