I know that most of the recent content has been centered around body issues and weight. I love that this is such a hot topic right now – slowly we make progress toward love, appreciation and acceptance for every body. But there are honestly SO many other areas that are scrutinized by society. One which this post will bring the attention to is the notion of “perfect skin.” Think about how many advertisements there are for “cellulite-diminishing” lotions, luxe moisturizers that promise the world, not to mention the millions of acne products on the market – and even get me started on the cosmetics and procedures that are being pushed to mask these “imperfections!” We are being made to hide behind our skin – that anything less than flawless skin is something to be ashamed of and needs to be corrected. But the truth is, perfection is a man-made illusion and our bodies were meant to be beautifully flawed! Anyway, I thought this article from Coco Perez was pretty awesome. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
ANTM Cycle 7 winner CariDee English has revealed her terrible battle with the skin disease psoriasis. CariDee recently released pictures of herself when she was at her worst, which was when the skin condition covered over 70% of her body. The top model recalls:
“It was horrible — 70% of my skin from head to toe was covered in psoriasis, and it was the first time my hands were totally covered in it. We think the face is the first thing people see, but it’s incredible how often we use our hands.”
Her family even tried to convince her to find another career! Cari explains:
“My family — God bless them — tried to protect me by saying that I had to choose another career. But then I landed on America’s Next Top Model, and I was like a horse out of the gate, finally living my dream.”
Luckily for her, she was able to find a cure with Stelara injections. But before that, she wanted to share her condition to show others they too can overcome it.
“I wanted to make it a source of empowerment. Before I started the new medication, I thought, ‘How can I best utilize this flare-up to help other people?’ I decided I would document myself fully exposed, with the hope that if a girl can see that out in the open, it can give them hope there’s something concrete out there that can help them.”
Currently, Cari’s outbreaks are under control and hopes to raise more awareness and fundraise for the disease in the future. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Medical conditions such as psoriasis can be physically uncomfortable as well as emotionally difficult to handle in everyday life. I really admire that CariDee did not give up on her dreams, and even though she has found a treatment that works, she is willing to share this information to help others.
About The Author
Patricia Colli, Editor of Beutiful Magazine, is a human rights activist, equality advocate, and promoter of health, acceptance and wellbeing. Having experienced disordered eating, unhealthy exercise patterns and poor body image, she is especially passionate about shedding light on eating disorders and the power of body acceptance.
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