Keke Palmer revealed that she has been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The actress, producer, and host shared the news with her 10.1 million Instagram followers to raise awareness. She posted a slide show featuring three bare faced pictures exposing her cystic acne and dark marks.
“Hey you guys, for some of you this may be TMI, but for me my platform has always been used for things much greater than me. Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome has been attacking me from the inside out my entire life and I had no idea,” she wrote.
Palmer has been open about her struggle growing up in front of the camera with acne for years.
On an episode of her former ABC talk show Strahan Sara and Keke, Palmer shared a story about how Tyler Perry once footed the bill for her to see a dermatologist to address her skin issues.
“My acne has been so bad that people in my field offered to pay for me to get it fixed,” she continued.
Palmer looking into her family’s health helped her finally discover the exact ailment she was suffering from.
“I tried EVERYTHING. I did Accutane TWICE. People say drink water, have a better diet, but I did all that, I ate all the “right” things, my blood tests were fine. But 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.” According to the Centers For Disease Control people suffering from PCOS are frequently found to be insulin resistant and more than half of those diagnosed will develop type 2 diabetes before the age of 40.
Palmer suspects that her physical appearance delayed her getting the appropriate treatment.
“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! I came to a doctor in tears once and all they offered was a measles vaccine… Exactly,” she wrote.
She encouraged her followers and fans to conduct research and advocate for themselves.
“I’m posting this to say that it’s okay and we can help ourselves. My skin has made me sad many nights but I do not give up on myself. I know this is not me and my body has been looking for help. I do not have a medical degree but I did the research and took what I learned to a doctor and that led them to a proper diagnosis. I’m not saying trust web md for everything haha but what I am saying is no one can help us like we can help ourselves.This especially makes me sad because my family struggled for years and no doctor could help them, they actually mislead them and just took their money. 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,” she continued.
She also told her fans who share her diagnosis that acne is not capable of stopping their lives or blocking their beauty.
“To all the people struggling with this please know you’re not alone and that you are still so fucking fine! MY ACNE AINT NEVER STOPPED ME. But we don’t have accept this. Now I can really help KEKE! And I love her so it’s ON. Pray for me on this journey and I will pray for you too. I’m not afraid to show myself to the world and you shouldn’t be either.”