Kim Kardashian-West has taken to her sister's new lifestyle website, Poosh, to open up about the skin condition she has been battling since her twenties. The 38-year-old, who has been open about her Psoriasis battle, published an incredibly candid first-person piece and revealed the physical distress the condition has caused her.
Delving into what it was like being the only child in the family who her mum Kris Jenner passed the condition on to, Kim revealed that although her mum had the condition too their journeys were very different and therefore she felt helpless: "She had it in her scalp and all over her body, and I’d see it all the time and remember her going to the tanning salon to try and ease it. Getting UV rays directly on the spots really helped my mom. For me, however, that remedy would burn the areas and cause them to itch, so I always felt helpless."
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Kim was diagnosed with the condition when she was 25, by her neighbour who was a dermatologist, who helped her cure the outbreak with a shot of cortisone. However, the Psoriasis came back with avengeance in her early thirties. Kim revealed that although it went away during her pregnancies, afterwards it crept back all over her face and body and left her unable to use her hands: "One night, I woke up to use the restroom and I physically couldn’t pick up my phone… I woke up that morning and I still couldn’t pick up my phone. I was freaking out—I couldn’t even pick up a toothbrush, my hands hurt so badly."
The pain was so bad Kim thought she had arthritis: "I knew I felt the pain in my bones, and after I Googled the possibilities, I was beyond scared." The situation became worse when her test results came back positive for both arthritis and lupus: "I immediately started to cry and felt so lost. You really can get in a crazy headspace when you think you have something." However, Kim later found out the results were a false positive and she was confirmed to have Psoriatic arthritis which causes affected joints to become inflamed, stiff and painful. Like Psoriasis, Psoriatic arthritis is a long-term condition that can get progressively worse.
Although happy to have a diagnosis Kim revealed in her essay that no creams or ointments seemed to help and the pain got even worse: "I just couldn’t take it anymore, and I physically couldn’t move my hands. I remember I had a press day for my Carolina Lemke sunglasses and I was wearing these purple boots and snake-print pants and I couldn’t get my pants down to go to the bathroom. I couldn’t even get my bra on that day, and I had to have someone dress me because the pain was so unbearable."
The reality star has overhauled her lifestyle to try and help her skin condition. "I live a healthy life and try to eat as plant-based as possible and drink sea moss smoothies. With all the stress in life, I try to make sure I take time for myself so that I am centred and keep my stress to a minimum," she revealed.
As for the visual effect of the condition, Kim confessed that she still gets insecure and encourages that covering it up completely just as okay as embracing it: "I am fine with showing it off and other times I don’t want it to be a distraction, so I cover it up with body makeup… If you have Psoriasis, you can’t let it ruin your life or get the best of you. You have to do what you can to make sure you are comfortable but not let it take over."
Kim ended: "I hope my story can help anyone else with an autoimmune disease feel confident that there is light at the end of the tunnel." You are definitely going to be that light for many people Kim - and for that, we salute you.
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