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LeAnn Rimes: "How Do I Live With Psoriasis?"
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Country music superstar LeAnn Rimes talks about her life with psoriasis---and how good she feels today
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By Kalia Doner
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Winter 2008
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 When LeAnn Rimes walks into a room, a kind of serene glow emanates from her, making her seem both younger and older than her 26 years. She is sweet, and a touch toughened, not just by life on the road (after all, you have to go through a lot of times good and bad to sell more than 20 million records) but also by her experiences with psoriasis.
“I have a big personality and I love being around people, but as a child I didn’t want to do normal kid stuff because of the psoriasis,” she recalls. “The only chance I had to show my personality was my music. I tried so many treatments for so long. Nothing really worked well; and I was pretty closed off.”
Now with skin that is smooth and flawless, she encounters the world fearlessly. “I have been clear for about four and a half years, and I want to tell people there is hope. You can find a treatment that works. Don’t give up.”
To spread her message she has joined forces with the American Academy of Dermatology and National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) to raise awareness of psoriasis and encourage sufferers to talk to their dermatologist about the effect that the disease has on their lives both physically and emotionally. The nationwide awareness campaign “Stop Hiding from Psoriasis” may “help people find hope,” says LeAnn. “Having battled severe psoriasis my whole life, I’ve had to deal with the emotional and physical toll psoriasis has had on my self-esteem and confidence. Fortunately, now I no longer let psoriasis define who I am or how I feel about myself. I hope by joining this effort and sharing my story, others will be empowered to stop hiding from their psoriasis and better manage their disease and not let it limit them or their aspirations.”
One of the lessons that LeAnn wants to share with others suffering from psoriasis is the importance of making changes in your lifestyle, along with working to find the most effective medical treatment. “I want to be in control of my whole life, not just my psoriasis and my treatment,” she explains. Today she does breathing exercises and yoga regularly. “I found out what stresses me and I work to defuse those things, because they can cause flares.” As for her diet? “I used to eat a lot of fried foods and colas. But never now. And it seems to make the treatment more effective.”
LeAnn’s doctor for the past 15 years, Nashville dermatologist Michael Zanolli, M.D., has seen LeAnn blossom as her psoriasis became controlled. “I think in the past five or six years LeAnn has come into her own and is not afraid of meeting challenges head on. She has great support from her family.”
“So many people suffer in silence,” says LeAnn. “But there are so many treatment choices. I just want people to know that they can reach out and get help that works.”
A national NPF survey found that:
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Half of respondents report that psoriasis affects their self-esteem (57
percent) and the way they view themselves (46 percent).
• More than
half agree that their psoriasis leads others to stare (61 percent) or
think their condition is contagious (56 percent). This is especially
true among respondents with very severe disease (70 percent).
Another recent survey of the public found:
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The majority of American adults admit they become uncomfortable around
individuals with psoriasis, particularly when touching or shaking their
hand (52 percent) or accepting a date (50 percent).
• If diagnosed
with psoriasis, adults responded they would be uncomfortable doing many
everyday activities such as wearing clothes that reveal their skin (82
percent) or being intimate with others (80 percent).
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Three-quarters of respondents (73 percent) felt that they would feel
uncomfortable dating or meeting new people if they were diagnosed with
the disease.
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