Can you guess how old Kim Kardashian, one of the members of the influential reality Kardashian-Jenner clan, is? Chances are, if you are not an avid fan, you would say that she’s in her late 20s.

At 38 years old, the socialite, who has three, soon to be four, kids, a cosmetics line called KKW, and an apprenticeship in preparation for the bar exam in 2022, really has a lot on her plate. But judging from her social media posts that show how she looks so perfect, we can’t really notice how stressful juggling all these things might be for her.

The Truth about Psoriasis

However, as much as we perceived her as picture-perfect all the time, Kim is far from shying about her struggles with psoriasis, even using her status as a social media superstar to spread awareness on the condition that produces scaly and itchy red patches on the skin.

According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, this auto-immune disease affects about 7.5 million Americans but is not at all contagious.

Popsugar | Kim Kardashian has been updating the fans of her fight against psoriasis in the past years

The spots mostly appear on knees, elbows, scalp, and torso and rarely does it occur on the face. Psoriasis has five types: guttate, inverse, pustular, erythrodermic, and plaque, which is the most common form as 80 percent of people with the disease have this.

Upon knowing of her condition in 2011, Kim was shocked, especially since there is no cure for the disease yet. Plus, it’s a long-term illness that needs a lot of treatments and medications to clear the manifestations.

Celebrities Who Have Psoriasis

Victoria’s Secret model Cara Delevingne may have an enviable glamorous life, but she has had quite an experience to tell about her psoriasis. Gracing more than 50 runways during Fashion Week is no joke, as it affected her mental health and brought about flare-ups. What’s worse was that people wore gloves in fear that it was something contagious.

Dazed | Cara Delevingne admitted that a hectic schedule caused her psoriasis flare-up

Singer Cyndi Lauper also suffers from psoriasis, detailing in 2015 how the first flare-up affected her voice that it resulted in depression. Now, she is working with Novartis and the National Psoriasis Foundation to spread awareness.

Skin Tightening Laser Treatment

In March, Kim shared to her more than 134 million followers on Instagram a morning selfie that showed noticeable patches near her eyes, cheeks, chin, and eyebrow.

A day after, she updated her fans that she’s undergoing a skin tightening treatment in a Beverly Hills spa to help calm the flare-up. Through Stories, she revealed that she was getting a laser session that uses radiofrequency technology to help combat sagging skin.

Dermatologist Marnie Nussbaum said that laser treatment is one of the most effective in tightening loose skin as it targets what’s underneath the skin, encouraging elastin and collagen growth, two proteins that are greatly responsible for our skin’s plumpness. There are three major processes of the treatment: ultrasound, micro-needling, and radiofrequency.

Venus Concept | An expert said that laser treatments are generally painless

Nussbaum said that skin tightening laser treatment is not painful because it’s non-invasive and non-surgical. However, you will still feel the heat during the procedure which may make you uncomfortable.

Kim Resorts to Laser Treatment for Other Concerns

Meanwhile, psoriasis is not the only reason Kim has resorted to laser treatment as she previously used the treatment for other concerns. Last year, the makeup maven narrated that after giving birth to eldest daughter North in 2013, she was concerned about the stretch marks from breastfeeding the baby, so she sought the help of a doctor to laser the specific area.

Apart from this, Kim gushed over the ultrasound radiofrequency, which costs north of $600 per session. The treatment, she said, promotes the production of collagen, thereby lifting and tightening the skin. She had done this on her hands, neck, stomach, and belly button, which she admitted bothered her after delivering her baby.