(Shutterstock)

Former star of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” Brandi Glanville has had psoriasis since childhood. As Glanville recently told People, opening up about her experience with the condition can be challenging: “I don’t like talking about my psoriasis too much because it can cause a breakout.”

Glanville shared that, like many others living with the skin condition, her psoriasis flare-ups are “100 percent stress-induced.” Alongside the pressures of starring on a reality television show, the anxieties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic further worsened her symptoms, People reported. “I thought the world was ending,” Glanville admitted. “It just got worse and worse.”

Despite the difficulties of discussing her condition, Glanville has been open to the press and on social media about the reality of her psoriasis experience. In November of 2020, she shared a selfie on Instagram with a visible psoriasis plaque on her face.

In some cases, Glanville’s openness has been in response to media criticism. In March, Glanville Tweeted a photo of her face with a caption explaining that her skin problems — which had been criticized by media outlets — were the result of misusing a phototherapy device prescribed by her doctor to help clear psoriasis flares. Misinterpreting her doctor’s advice, she left the device on her skin for 17 minutes, not seconds. She suffered painful second- and third-degree burns as a result. Though the use of phototherapy under a doctor’s guidance is generally considered safe, Glanville’s experience highlights the importance of fully understanding your doctor’s instructions.

Glanville’s openness about her psoriasis can help raise public awareness of the realities of psoriasis — both the challenges and the hurdles one can overcome when living with a chronic condition.