One of the harsh realities of getting older is realizing that when you blow out the candles on your 20th birthday cake, your teenage acne doesn’t just disappear like magic, leaving you to live the rest of your life in dewy Glossier model-worthy peace. Instead, oftentimes, your skin actually gets worse as you age and for women, it can mean years of dermatologist appointments, skincare trials, expensive (useless) treatments, and a lot of stress and anxiety because of it.
Even those who have access to the very best money can offer still can’t seem to get answers to their skin woes, something Keke Palmer opened up about on Instagram in a bid to help others in a similar situation.
“For some of you this may be TMI, but for me my platform has always been used for things much greater than me,” the actress started. “Polycystic [ovary] syndrome has been attacking me from the inside out my entire life and I had no idea.”
Palmer said that she has “tried EVERYTHING” to minimize her acne, including doing two rounds of Accutane, an intensive prescription treatment for severe acne, changing her diet and drinking more water.
“It took ME taking a personal look into my family that has a history of diabetes and obesity, to understand what was ACTUALLY happening with me,” she continued. “And unfortunately doctors are people and if you don’t ‘look the part’ they may not think that’s your problem. They may not even suggest it if you ‘look healthy’ whatever that means!”
The 27-year-old went on to reveal that despite trying multiple doctors, it was her personal research that led her to believe that she has PCOS. Palmer then had it confirmed that she has the hormonal disorder, which causes enlarged ovaries and cysts and often comes with side effects like acne, excessive hair growth and weight gain.
“This especially makes me sad because my family struggled for years and no doctor could help them, they actually misled them and just took their money,” she said. “It’s only because of what my family sacrificed that allows me to even have the resources to share the information I’m sharing with you! Their fight out of poverty gave me a better life and I just want to share what I learn.”
Unfortunately, Palmer’s story is all too common, especially when it comes to health conditions that women alone battle with, such as PCOS and endometriosis. Sharing stories like this are paramount in helping others realize that they’re both not alone in their struggles and that it’s paramount to keep pushing doctors to investigate further.
Love you, Keke.
