(Culture)

Kim Kardashian Opens Up About Her Skin Disorder

If you’re a fan of Keeping Up With the Kardashians or of the Kardashian clan in general, then you’re aware that Kim Kardashian suffers from psoriasis. For those of you not familiar with the term, psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that can be seen on the body as red flaky patches. Kim was officially diagnosed in 2010 after attending the opening of DASH in New York, and her entire doctor’s visit was chronicled in an episode. While she’s taken a hiatus from discussing the topic, on Wednesday she wrote a heartfelt post on her app and website about life with psoriasis.

KimKardashianWest.com

She explains that while she has one patch on her right leg that is very visible, she’s decided to not cover it up anymore. She explained, “sometimes I just feel like it’s my big flaw and everyone knows about it, so why cover it?” Kim also admits that she has taken some measures to deal with the patches, “Every few years, I get a cortisone shot to help combat the inflammation of my psoriasis,” she wrote.

Kim also made a point to share some scientific evidence about psoriasis. “There’s no cure that we know of right now, but there are certain foods you should avoid to help prevent flare-ups—acidic foods like tomatoes and eggplant, for instance,” she explained. About 10 percent of the population has genes that can lead to psoriasis, but only two to three percent develop symptoms. Since there isn’t a cure at the moment, Kim applies topical cortisone ointment to her patches as part of her nighty routine. “I’m always hoping for a cure, of course, but in the meantime, I’m learning to just accept it as part of who I am,” she wrote.