Kim Kardashian Opening Up About Her Psoriasis & Asking Fans For Help Is SO Relatable
The Kardashian family is known for many things — from their makeup collections to their reality TV show. Although opinions about the Kardashian clan can range from good to indifferent, Kim Kardashian opening up about her psoriasis feels super relatable. Kardashian took to Twitter to discuss her skin condition, sharing that it may be time for her to start taking medication.
A chronic skin disease often marked by physical flareups, there is no discovered cure for psoriasis, although researchers continue to develop drugs for the condition. And while it's still unknown whether or not psoriasis is hereditary, Momager of the century, Kris Jenner, also deals with psoriasis. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, psoriasis is a common skin condition that catalyzes skin sells, causing them to build up quickly on the surface of your skin. These extra skin cells can form red patches and scale like flakes, that are often itchy and painful. The makeup queen has dealt with psoriasis since her formal diagnosis in 2010. Asking fans for their advice and experiences with psoriasis medication, Kardashian started a world-wide dialogue about the condition, and the ways people deal with it.
Kim has been very open about her psoriasis, from filming her first diagnosis on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, back in 2010, to writing informative and personal statements about the disease on her website,
"I've really learned to live with it. I got it for the first time at the DASH store opening in New York," Kardashian states. "I wore this all-sequin dress and I started getting really itchy; I thought it was just a rash caused by the fabric, but then the rash was COVERING my legs and my mom was like, "I think you have psoriasis!!!" She has it too, and it's hereditary, so she spotted the symptoms immediately."
In the summer of 2017, Kardashian took to Twitter to share her psoriasis was flaring up on her face, causing her physical pain, and emotional discomfort. Although the star has been able to cover the red flare ups with makeup in the past, in her latest statement, Kardashian attests, "I can’t even cover it at this point. It’s taken over my body."
The mother of three isn't the only celebrity to open up about having psoriasis or publicly seek treatment. Queer Eye icon Jonathan Van Ness has spoken publicly about his battle with the skin condition, and his self care regiments for keeping the pain away. According to People, everyone's favorite professional hairdresser slash amateur figure skater has been flareup free for close to six months (#bless.) Another self-identified ice queen, Vanderpump Rules star Stassi Schroeder also deals with the skin condition, and has been very open in sharing her experiences. According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, as many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis, which is about two percent of the US. It's not surprising the common condition affects celebrities and fans alike.
Kardashian's loving fans came through with hundreds of treatments and ways to reduce flareups. Responses ranged from prescription drugs to holistic medicine, to LED light machines to Kourtney's breast milk, a hail-Mary attempt Kardashian tried in 2013.
In December 2017, that Kardashian came to fans with positive news about her flareups staying away. The condition is known for coming and going, and unfortunately, flareups coming back after a long time of not appearing, is not uncommon. Kardashian opening up about her skin has made space for fans to share their stories, has made treatment information more accessible for people with the condition. Hopefully, some of the fan advice will help to both ameliorate the condition and ease Kim's pain.
