Yahoo Lifestyle Nara Smith opens up about her struggles with eczema and lupus
Being a social media star may seem like the high life but Nara Smith, fashion model-turned-TikTok creator just pulled back the curtain on all that appears glitz and glam by getting candid about her struggles with eczema, which, more recently, led to a lupus diagnosis.
Just short of 24 hours ago, the mum-of-three took to Instagram with a five-part carousel post showing a series of eczema flare-ups. Eczema, also known as dermatitis, is a chronic, non-contagious skin condition that causes inflammation and dry skin. Severity varies from person to person, but as Nara shows and explains, she has struggled with flare-ups on her hands, scalp, face and arms.
"TW: Eczema It’s been about 3 years since my eczema started flaring up severely. I had just given birth to my second child. It started off as a small cracked patch of dry skin that I just moisturized and ignored," Nara writes.
"My eczema spread rapidly starting on the palms of my hands and making its way onto my back,arms, scalp and eventually my face. I felt exhausted and my body ached so bad, that on some days I couldn’t move or hold my babies. As time went on my hair fell out in clumps and I could never shake this lingering cold feeling I felt in my body. I spend nights researching eczema since I thought that’s all I had."
Continuing, Nara says how she "drastically" changed her diet in the hopes of improving her eczema. "I [...] swapped out all my products for more natural options. I would go through phases of it healing (never fully clearing up) and then flaring up. I saw multiple dermatologist and always got the same answer: severe eczema. I got sent home defeated, not listened to and with a paper bag full of steroid creams," she says.
However, after putting up with years of suffering, it wasn't until Nara got a bed-bounding infection that led her to take matters further.
"After two years of struggling and over analyzing everything I put in and on my body I had the biggest flareup, which lead to a severe infection. Every part of my body was covered in inflamed, oozing, itchy and swollen skin. I woke up with my eyes swollen shut and my hands not functioning. I stopped eating completely, l paralyzed by the fear of making it worse.
"In a state of desperation, I got on a flight to Germany seeking help from naturopaths, doctors and other specialists and finally got a diagnosis: Lupus."
Lupus affects mainly women (90% of sufferers are female, in fact) and is a disease that causes your immune system to attack all your healthy organs and tissues. Many people with lupus do not receive a diagnosis straight away because it can mimic other conditions; virtually any symptom of illness or inflammation can signal lupus.
Nara says that from that moment on, "like a puzzle all the pieces fell into place."
"[...] all my symptoms made sense- from my purple hands that felt frozen, to my extreme fatigue, my hair loss and sores. It all made sense now. I felt relieved because I finally had an answer but I was equally scared of what this meant for my life and my kids. It’s been a learning curve and I’m still learning and adjust day by day🤍
"I’m sharing this in the hopes of giving someone hope, comfort or the strength to keep pushing when things get really hard and lonely❤️🩹."
We hope Nara is adjusting to such lifestyle and health changes, and above all, is doing well.
This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always seek the advice of your GP, dermatologist or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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