Behind the perfect picture: Talia’s story of living with chronic urticaria

At 23, Talia is a content creator and Miss London 2026. She has been living with chronic urticaria on and off since she was around 13 years old.

When her symptoms first began, Talia suddenly developed hives across her body, with no obvious explanation. As a teenager, she didn't understand what was happening or why her skin looked different.

She was eventually diagnosed with chronic idiopathic urticaria and prescribed antihistamines, but the experience had a significant impact on her.

Being a teenager was already difficult, but feeling as though people were staring at something she had no control over made things harder. Talia became increasingly conscious of her skin and what other people thought of her. She missed a lot of school, and her education and social life suffered as a result.

After around 18 months, her urticaria disappeared. Talia went years without having to think about the condition and believed that part of her life was behind her.

Then, 10 years later, it came back.

This time, Talia's symptoms have been more severe. Alongside hives across her body and face, she experiences dermographism and angioedema, which causes deeper swelling, particularly around her lips and face.

She shared that seeing her face or lips suddenly swell can be frightening, and there have been times when her symptoms have affected plans, travel and simply feeling comfortable being on her own.

The unpredictability of chronic urticaria has also been challenging. Talia can wake up with completely clear skin and experience a flare later the same day.

Heat, cold, pressure, hormones and stress can affect her symptoms, but sometimes there seems to be no obvious reason for a flare.

Talia's career means she spends much of her time in front of cameras and on social media. With more than 1.5 million followers across her platforms, developing a visible skin condition again brought back some of the insecurities she had experienced as a teenager.

In an online world where carefully edited images and seemingly perfect skin are everywhere, Talia found herself questioning whether she should show her own skin during a flare.

Instead, she began sharing her flare-ups and speaking openly about her experience with chronic urticaria.

The response made her realise how many people were struggling with their skin behind closed doors. Talia has received messages from girls who recognised their own symptoms through her videos and went on to seek medical advice.

This experience helped inspire Beauty Beyond Skin, which Talia created to use her platform to share real stories and help people feel less alone.

Through her role as Miss London 2026, she hopes to continue using her platform to raise awareness of skin conditions and challenge the idea that skin has to look a certain way.

For Talia, being open about her experience is about helping others feel more comfortable talking about theirs.

This World Urticaria Day, she hopes her story reminds anyone living with chronic urticaria that they are not alone.

Talia Lewis-Cole

Miss London GB 2026