Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease affecting nearly 7.4 million Americans, but from the way it’s discussed, you’d hardly know. But that’s changing thanks to celebrities with psoriasis like Kim Kardashian and LeAnn Rimes, who have been using their platforms to share their own personal journeys of living with the condition.

While the cause for psoriasis remains unclear, when triggered, it produces inflammation in the body that can lead to flare-ups of red, itchy patches of raised skin. “This occurs because the overactive immune system speeds up skin cell growth,” according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. “Normal skin cells completely grow and shed (fall off) in a month. With psoriasis, skin cells do this in only three or four days. Instead of shedding, the skin cells pile up on the surface of the skin.”

Even though there isn’t a cure for the condition, there are several treatment options available that help minimize flare-ups, and they’re getting more attention as women on social media continue to chip away at the stigma. Read on for the celebrities with psoriasis who refuse to live in the shadows—and the advice they swear by. 

Visit the National Psoriasis Foundation at psoriasis.org for more information on managing your psoriasis. 

  • celebrities with psoriasis Kim Kardashian psoriasis

    Instagram / @kimkardashian

    Kim Kardashian

    After experiencing her first flare-up at the age of 25, Kardashian has spent the last decade learning how best to manage the autoimmune condition. Despite the rashes and joint pain she’s frequently experienced, she hasn’t let psoriasis dim her shine. “I’ve become extremely comfortable with my psoriasis,” she once revealed on Poosh, sister Kourtney Kardashian’s website. “No matter where it is on my body, sometimes 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.” 

    For treatment, Kardashian says she’s tried it all. “Before the [psoriatic] arthritis hit, I spent about four months doing everything natural—every ointment, cream, serum, and foam you can possibly imagine, and everything from the dermatologist,” she said. “I even tried an herbal tea that tasted like tar.” Despite an ongoing journey toward finding the best treatments for herself, in the essay she said she remains optimistic: “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.”

  • Sara Hertel

    LeAnn Rimes

    The first time Rimes opened up about her psoriasis publicly, her flare-ups had already been in check. But when stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic hit an all-time high for her in 2020, her red scaly patches came flooding back. Instead of hiding them like she once did, the singer decided to use the opportunity to show the world what living with psoriasis really looks like. “You know when you say something you’ve been holding in for so long, and it’s such a sigh of relief? That’s what these photos are to me,” she revealed in an essay for Glamour. “I needed this. My whole body—my mind, my spirit—needed this desperately.”

    She admitted she still feels vulnerable with her flare-ups, but ultimately, she’s sick of hiding this piece of her. Living in her truth is more important than hiding. “Will these photos change the way I live? Will I wear shorts out to the grocery store? I honestly don’t know,” she said. “But what I do know is that it’s amazing how small we can keep ourselves. When you finally allow yourself to step outside of what you’ve been caging in, the whole world opens up.” 

  • Getty Images

    Kris Jenner

    In her open letter on living with psoriasis, Kardashian shared that her mother, Kris, also shared the genetic condition. “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,” wrote Kardashian. “Getting U.V. rays directly on the spots really helped my mom.”

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