Kim Kardashian has psoriasis, which causes scaly patches to flare up on your skin, particularly around your scalp, elbows, and knees. It's chronic – meaning there's no cure – but there are medications to help manage it.
Luckily, those who have the condition can always get together to discuss their options, treatments, tips and tricks on World Psoriasis Day (October 29th) with this year's theme being Access for All, which champions affordable access to the right treatment at the right time, especially as research into holistic care are advancing on a daily basis.
It has also been helpful for others to look to public figures who have psoriasis such as Kim, Cara Delevingne and LeAnn Rimes, to inspire them on their own health journey. Kim, in particular, has been very candid about her struggle with psoriasis, often opening up on social media in a way that makes others feel less alone.
Here's a thorough breakdown of every time she's done this – including the time she said, very plainly, “psoriasis is the sh*ts.”
“It’s made me more mindful about how what I put in my body affects me.”
2005–2006: Kim has her first psoriasis flare-up
“When I was 25, I had my first psoriasis flare-up,” she wrote years later in a blog post for her sister Kourtney's website Poosh. “I got a common cold, and since psoriasis is an autoimmune condition, this triggered it. It was all over my stomach and legs.
"Luckily, in my apartment complex at the time, my neighbour was a dermatologist. I showed it to him, and he said to come into the office and he would give me a shot of cortisone, and then hopefully it would go away (since it was my first big outbreak). I did this and my psoriasis completely went away for about five years.”
2011: Kim's psoriasis returns in her early 30s
“[The psoriasis] came back again in my early 30s,” Kim wrote in her post on Poosh. And indeed, she receives the diagnosis on a 2011 episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
“People don't understand the pressure on me to look perfect,” she says on the show, per ABC News. “When I gain a pound, it's in the headlines. Imagine what the tabloids would do to me if they saw all these spots?” Her mother, Kris Jenner, also has psoriasis, though Kim is the only one of her children who inherited it.
2012 and 2014: Kim's psoriasis goes away during her two pregnancies
Kim welcomed her first daughter, North, in 2013, and her first son, Saint, in 2015. Daughter Chicago came in 2018, followed by son Psalm in 2019, both via surrogate. “When I got pregnant both times, it fully went away,” she wrote in her Poosh post. “That was amazing, but then it came back again.”
2016: Kim opens up about her self-image as it pertains to psoriasis
“Sometimes the rashes are itchy, sometimes they're flaky,” she writes. “Mine flares up from time to time for different reasons…
"Scientists are constantly researching and developing new medications to help treat it, but for now, I use a topical cortisone ointment every night before bed. 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.”
2018: Kim inquires about medications for psoriasis
“I think the time has come I start a medication for psoriasis,” she tweets. “I’ve never seen it like this before, and I can’t even cover it at this point. It’s taken over my body. Has anyone tried a medication for psoriasis & what kind works best? Need help ASAP!!!”
Up until this point, Kim has talked about the light treatments, creams, and other natural remedies she's used to managing her psoriasis.
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February 2019: Kim hits back at the Daily Mail for saying she was having a “bad skin day”
“It’s psoriasis all over my face,” she tweets.
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Support for the reality star turned mogul comes pouring in, with one person tweeting, “Do not let the media shake you. My mom has psoriasis, it took her a long time to accept it and not let the opinions of others shake her. Her psoriasis is still bad bc there are underlining issues she refuses to address, but people like you help start those convos. Thank you.”
Later the same month, Kim posted three deeply relatable photos of her psoriasis flare-ups. She captioned one selfie, which shows her flare-ups covered in herbal healing ointment, “Psoriasis is the sh*ts.” Kim then shares a second photo to show her followers how she's treating the issue and a third of the flare-ups on her legs, which she jokingly captions, “Sexy.”
“I actually really appreciate that Kim Kardashian talks about her psoriasis so publicly. It makes me feel loads better about it,” one fan writes, praising the reality star for the uploads. “You know what,” writes another, “I applaud Kim K for speaking openly & showing her psoriasis. She gets so much sh*t from people about this & that, but that’s something I really appreciate about her.”
March 2019: Kim shares selfies of her flare-ups to social media
She captions them simply, “Psoriasis face.”
September 2019: Kim reveals she's been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis.
“It’s similar to arthritis that can stem from psoriasis, and it can come and go,” she writes. “It’s still painful and scary, but I was happy to have a diagnosis. No matter what autoimmune condition I had, I was going to get through it, and they are all manageable with proper care.”
That optimism is key to how Kim Kardashian approaches her psoriasis now. “If you have psoriasis, you can’t let it ruin your life or get the best of you,” she says. “You have to do what you can to make sure you are comfortable but not let it take over…. I hope my story can help anyone else with an autoimmune disease feel confident that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
September 2022: Kim says that a plant-based diet has helped her psoriasis.
Kim took to her sister Kourtney's Poosh lifestyle blog to praise the benefits of going plant-based (most of the time), which has helped keep her psoriasis symptoms at bay. “I just do my best to stay as plant-based as possible, unless it's a treat day. It's made me more mindful about how what I put in my body affects me, not just psoriasis but also my mood, my stress levels, my energy, everything,” she wrote.
Kim advised others struggling with low confidence stemming from psoriasis: “You have to get to a place where you just feel comfortable and own it. Be able to realize it’s a part of you.” Lovely words of wisdom from Kim!
TikTok is rife with videos discussing Kim's body.
May 2023: Stress from Kim's divorce from Kanye leads to more flare-ups.
During the premiere episode of the third season of The Kardashians, Kim shared a glimpse of her red, inflamed patches of skin when discussing her psoriasis with her mother Kris. Kim explained to her that the stress of her divorce from Kanye Westand navigating co-parenting with him had led to a flare-up. However, when Kris encouraged her to manage her stress better, Kim replied: "Well, tell the father of my children to stop acting up and then I won't stress out and get psoriasis."
September 2023: Kim shares another selfie of her flare-up
Kim continued to be candid as she shared her struggles with psoriasis in a selfie shared to Skkn's Instagram Stories. Sharing the image in honour of Skincare Awareness Month, she was asked how she discovered she had psoriasis. "I had my first flare-up when I was 25. I came down with a cold, and since psoriasis is an auto-immune condition, that's what triggered it," she answered. "It's been part of my life ever since."
When asked how psoriasis had affected her lifestyle, Kim noted: "It definitely made me more conscious of how I treat my body. After my diagnosis, I made the switch to a plant-based diet, started managing my stress more effectively, and shifted my focus to nourishing skincare." She also added that she's "fully embraced" her condition over the years as long as she's not in pain from it.
July 2024: Kim opens up about how psoriasis almost ruined her 2022 Met Gala appearance
Kardashian appeared on the SHE MD podcast, where she opened up about one particularly difficult psoriasis outbreak. Apparently, it appeared on her face right before the 2022 Met Gala.
"When I started to get a little bit desperate was when it started to cover my face, and there was a spot really close to my eye, and it would just burn a little bit," she said. "I remember I had the Met Ball coming up that week, and it was covering my face."
The hosts asked Kardashian if the outbreak had been related to stress — after all, she had just finalised her divorce from Kanye West at the time.
“I'm trying to think of what I was going through at that time. There's a lot I could say,” she said.
During the podcast appearance, Kardashian also revealed that one of the best methods for getting rid of her psoriasis outbreaks has been to sleep wearing cling film. “When it was on my legs, I'd put the cream on, Saran Wrap it," she said. “Put socks on, go to bed. Do my elbows, because it would get on my elbows. Put a hair tie around the Saran Wrap so it wouldn't come out. I sounded like the Tin Man, super crunchy.”
