Reality TV star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian leads a glamorous life, and her makeup and designer clothes hid the fact that she suffers from psoriasis for many years. In recent years, however, she has decided to share her battle with this autoimmune disease and even ask her followers for advice on how to deal with it.
Kardashian first learned she had psoriasis when she was 25, she wrote in an essay for her sister Kourtney’s lifestyle website, Poosh. “I wasn’t sure at the time if it was psoriasis,” Kardashian explained.
She had worn a sequin dress to a big event and when she got home her skin was itchy and tender. At first she dismissed it as being sensitive to the fabric of the clothes. Her mother Kris Jenner knew better. Jenner also has psoriasis and later identified a spot on Kardashian’s leg as psoriasis. (A dermatologist later confirmed the diagnosis.)
Trial and error
Kardashian’s psoriasis typically flares up on her legs and has sometimes spread to her face. She gets red spots that look like big red circles. The rashes may be itchy and scaly.
Kardashian has tried many strategies to relieve her symptoms, from blueberry smoothies to light treatments and everything in between. “I’ve spent about four months doing everything natural – every ointment, cream, serum and foam you can think of, and everything from the dermatologist,” she said in her essay.
Sometimes she got so frustrated that she asked her social media followers for medication recommendations.
“I think it’s time to start a psoriasis drug,” she said on Twitter in December 2018. “I’ve never seen it like this before and can’t even treat it at this point. It took over my body. Has anyone tried a drug for psoriasis and which one is best? Need help asap !!! ”
Some strategies have been more successful than others. Here are a few things she tried.
Plant-based diet
One of the biggest changes Kardashian made was switching to a plant-based diet.
“There are no specific data to support a plant-based diet” as a treatment for psoriasis, says Hadley King, MD, a New York dermatologist. However, she notes that an anti-inflammatory diet like the Mediterranean diet, which relies on plant-based foods, could help. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes all help reduce inflammation, which in turn could relieve symptoms of psoriasis. But more research is needed, says King.
“It’s also a good idea to minimize foods that worsen inflammation, such as red meat, soda, sugar, refined carbohydrates, and fried foods,” says Maryann Mikhail, MD, a dermatologist in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Smoothies and juices
Kardashian tried a variety of beverages, like blueberry detox smoothies and sea moss smoothies, that she hoped would help suppress her symptoms.
“I even tried an herbal tea that tasted like tar. I tried celery juice for eight weeks. Then I would mix celery juice with the tea. I would do this twice a day, ”she said in her poosh essay.
It’s unclear if they helped relieve her psoriasis. King says there isn’t any real data to support drinking sea moss smoothies, blueberry smoothies, or celery juice for treating psoriasis.
Topical treatments
Kardashian has also tried topical treatments like cortisone ointments. Topical steroids are a common treatment for psoriasis. They are helpful because they control inflammation to reduce swelling and redness.
She even tried herbal ointments. In a selfie she shared on Instagram, she showed a flare on her face with an herbal healing ointment smeared on her skin.
Herbal ointments can help with psoriasis, King says. She recommends Centella asiatica, also known as Cica. It’s an antioxidant-rich herb that has been used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries and appears to help skin inflammation and dry, flaky skin.
light therapy
Kardashian also tried light therapy treatment. “Narrowband UVB treatments can be very helpful for psoriasis,” says King, adding that there is plenty of data to support this.
In a 2017 interview with People, Kardashian said that about 60% of her psoriasis was gone after using a home LED light therapy device called the Quasar MD Plus.
“I used to have it so bad on the back of my legs. Now I only have two patches that don’t seem to go away, but the rest have gone since I had the baby, ”she told the magazine.
However, in her 2019 essay, Kardashian said that UV rays would burn directly on her psoriasis points and make them itchy.
Kardashian also credits pregnancy with temporary improvements in her skin. “When I got pregnant both times, it was completely gone,” she said on Instagram. “That was amazing, but then it came back. It got extremely bad earlier this year – it covered my entire face and most of my entire body. “
The right attitude
Now Kardashian has a new approach: accepting him.
“I was extremely comfortable with my psoriasis,” she said in her essay. “Although the spots are unpredictable, for the past eight years I have always been able to rely on my main spot on the right lower leg, which is constantly flaming upwards. I’ve learned to live with this stain without using any creams or medication – I just deal with it. “
Sometimes she covers it with body makeup, which is handy, for example, when she’s having a photo shoot and doesn’t want to be distracting. Another time she says she’s fine showing it.
“When you have psoriasis, you can’t let it ruin your life or get the best out of you. You have to do what you can to make sure you are comfortable, but don’t let it take over. “
Bonus tips
Try these tips to deal with triggers and symptoms.
Moisten. “It’s important to support your skin barrier with topical moisturizers that contain humectants, emollients, and occlusive agents,” says King. She recommends Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream, Simple Kind to Skin Replenishing Rich Moisturizer, and CeraVe Moisturizing Cream.
Try colloidal oatmeal. Colloidal oatmeal is a soothing agent that helps relieve itching and irritation, and also moisturizes and moisturizes your skin.
Manage stress. “Stress and anxiety can affect most inflammatory skin conditions,” says King. To prevent flare-ups, try stress management techniques like meditation, therapy, and exercise.
Avoid triggers. Cut down on alcohol and smoking. “Both are linked to worsening psoriasis,” says Mikhail.
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