Embracing Her Imperfections! Kim Kardashian Reveals Painful Psoriasis on Her Leg Amid Flare Up

While Kim Kardashian is normally able to control the spread of her psoriasis or cover it up with makeup, she confirmed on Tuesday, January 30, that she’s still dealing with the skin condition. The reality star posted Instagram Story videos of painful-looking dry patches on her leg.

“How crazy is my psoriasis right now, guys?” Kim, 43, asked as she zoomed in on the red mark. “Like, all up my leg. I don’t know what’s happening but I gotta figure this out. This is crazy.”

She included a caption with the video that provided more insight into what she’s been dealing with. “Not gonna lie this is painful,” the law student wrote. “Not sure what my triggers are. I haven’t changed my diet. I’ve tried everything. Psoriasis sucks.”

Inside Kim Kardashian's Struggle With Psoriasis: Her Journey in Photos

In a second video, Kim showed her leg from a wider angle to reveal just how much the rash had spread. “I usually just have this spot but now I can tell it’s going down my leg and up my leg and all up my thighs,” she explained. “I just know it’s time to figure this out.”

Despite the discomfort, Kim was able to find a silver lining. “Am I tripping or is my psoriasis in the shape of a heart for Valentine’s Day?” she wondered in a third video. “Do you guys see that? Kind of, right? I think I totally see it. Now you can see there’s psoriasis everywhere else, but lucky me, I have a heart-shaped psoriasis for Valentine’s Day.”

The Hulu star had her first psoriasis flare up in 2006. A shot of cortisone kept it away for five years, but it came back when she was in her early 30s. On a 2011 episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, the SKIMs founder disclosed her diagnosis with the public for the first time and revealed that she had inherited the disease from her mom, Kris Jenner.

In a 2019 blog post for Kourtney Kardashian’s website Poosh, Kim revealed that her psoriasis went away while she was pregnant in 2013 and 2015. However, it eventually flared up again and is something she deals with daily.

“Although the spots are unpredictable, I can always count on my main spot on my lower right leg, which consistently stays flared up,” Kim shared. “I have learned to live with this spot without using any creams or medications. I just deal. Sometimes I cover it up and sometimes I don’t. It doesn’t really bother me.”

In early 2019, Kim began experiencing severe pain in her hands and was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. “I physically couldn’t move my hands,” she recalled. “I couldn’t get my pants down to go to the bathroom. I couldn’t even get my bra on that day and I had to have someone dress me because the pain was so unbearable.”

Before the 2022 Met Gala, Kim experienced another bout with psoriatic arthritis. While she normally follows a plant-based diet, she was briefly eating meat so she could lose weight and fit into Marilyn Monroe’s dress for the event, which triggered the symptoms.

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“It was really painful and I had to go to a rheumatologist who put me on a steroid,” she shared. “I was freaking out. I cut out the meat again and it’s calmed down.”

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While Kim has learned to manage her psoriasis and live with it, there is no cure for the disease. The SKKN creator recently faced backlash for revealing that she has a tanning bed in her office, and had to explain that it’s because direct UV rays are helpful for her condition.

“I have psoriasis and it really helps when it’s bad,” Kim admitted. “But I don’t use it too often.”