I’ll be honest — I never thought I’d have anything in common with Kim Kardashian. And the secret we (and a handful of other celebs) share isn’t anything to brag about. It’s psoriasis. It’s up there in the most annoying and uncomfortable skin disorders, and it’s incurable. I inherited it from my dad’s side of the family so I’ve always had some moral support from them, but I have to admit: Finding out that these beautiful women are suffering with the same thing I am made my feel a lot less alone. Take a look at these celebs who suffer with this annoying skin disorder, just like me. 

What it is: Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder where the skin’s defenses are on high alert and misinterpret skin cells as pathogens and quickly builds more skin cells to defend itself. It looks pink and irritated. Psoriasis is not contagious, but genetic. It’s often triggered by stress, skin injury, medications, diet, and allergies. Oh, and it’s incredibly itchy. Needless to say, it can make you feel really un-cute really fast. But I’m not alone! Take a look.
 

When I was watching What Not To Wear recently I heard Stacy London — who I love and will always love — talk about her terrible skin condition. So I looked it up. Turns out she, too, suffers from psoriasis. Ever since I was a kid I sort of idolized her on the show because she’s so poised and funny at the same time. And when you see beautiful people on TV you think they have everything figured out, and nothing to worry about. Finding out that Stacy London shares my problem was actually… awesome. She even acted as the spokesperson for the National Psoriasis foundation. Cool lady.

 

LeAnne Rimes, in all of her milky-skinned beauty, admitted to Shape magazine in an interview that psoriasis once covered 80 percent of her body. She got involved with the Stop Hiding And Start Living campaign after suffering from the disease since she was just two years old.

 

CariDee English. If you were ever a fan of America’s Next Top Model you’ve probably heart of CariDee before. She won cycle 7 and was nothing if not totally beautiful. She admits that her psoriasis has brought her close to having to end her modeling career, saying:

It’s a battle. Anyone who has it has their work cut out for them. You feel icky, ugly and insecure — and ostracized, like you’re the only one who has it.

And it’s true. If you want to see pictures of her battle, click here. But I’m warning you, it ain’t pretty.

 

When Kim Kardashian found a bunch of scaly red spots on her legs, she sought a doctor’s attention. When she found out it was psoriasis, she was immediately anxious.

People don’t understand the pressure on me to look perfect…When I gain a pound, it’s in the headlines. Imagine what the tabloids would do to me if they saw all these spots?

And whether you’re a celebrity in the public eye or a girl who just wants to look her best, it can be crippling for your self-image.

There are treatments, diets and quick fixes (Kim swears by Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs spray) for sufferers of the disease, but the best measure by most accounts is to try not to stress out. But you can imagine having big pink patches on your skin doesn’t exactly lower your stress levels. But for a disease that is unsightly and uncomfortable, at least we’re not alone.

Do you or anyone you know suffer from psoriasis?

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