Psoriasis Awareness Month: LeAnn Rimes didn't let the 'scaly girl' tag stop her from becoming a Grammy winner
Grammy award-winning celebrity LeAnn Rimes was diagnosed with psoriasis at the age of two. The genetic condition that causes red and raised scales on the skin led her to face rejection from a very young age from her peers. In an interview with Health.com, she opened up about how she was referred to as the "scaly girl" in school and how no one wanted to play with her or touch her. However, she didn't let the disease define her as she went on to become the spokesperson for StopHiding.org, a campaign sponsored by the American Academy of Dermatology and the National Psoriasis Foundation.
Rimes has had the auto-immune disease under control for a couple of years now, however, she really had it worse when she was young. In the interview, she also revealed that at age six, she got to a point where 80% of her body was covered with psoriasis patches. Recalling that phase, she said it was "very isolating" and that she spent most of the time in the doctor's office. "My mom had to get me out of school to go to treatments."
On how she managed to live her life in the public glare with the disease, she said, "On the red carpet I never wore short dresses; I would always wear long dresses or pants. My legs were my worst problem." Auto-immune skin diseases not only affect a person physically but also affects one's mental well-being. On how she coped up on that front she said, "I've gone to therapy and dealt with it, because it is traumatizing, especially when you are a child going through it. Kids pick on you, and to not feel like you are a part of anything, you just feel alone. I'm a firm believer in having someone to talk to who's not a part of your everyday life. It definitely helped."
About her role as a spokesperson for StopHiding.org, she said, "At StopHiding.org, we are trying to educate not only people who have it but also the general public on what the disease is. A lot of people who have it don't get treated because they think it's just a skin disorder. But psoriasis is linked to so many different things: depression, obesity, heart disease, psoriatic arthritis. So we are trying to help people to get a handle on it before it gets out of control."
August is Psoriasis Awareness Month and it brings an opportunity for survivors and activists to share tips and raise awareness about the genetic disease. In this column, we highlight the struggles of celebrities and talk about preventative and cure measures