La La Anthony Latest Star to Share Struggle with Psoriasis

La La Anthony is opening up about her struggle with psoriasis. The actress and bestselling author has joined with the National Psoriasis Foundation's Picture Positivity campaign to share her decade-long struggle with the autoimmune condition that causes dry, red, itchy patches of skin. 

"I’m all about trying to help others out there and giving the best advice based on my experiences -- so if I can continue to do that, I’m really happy," the wife of NBA star Carmelo Anthony told People magazine.

"I’ve had this for a long time and I’ve still been able to go on and I’ve still been able to do all these amazing things, and I’ve never let psoriasis get in the way of any of that," she said.

"You don’t have to be ashamed, you don’t have to hide in the closet because of it, you can still live life and do amazing things, which is what the Picture Positivity campaign is all about." 

 

Anthony said she first noticed the problem about 10 years ago. "I didn’t know what it was," she told People. "I had it really bad in my scalp and behind my ears, but my scalp is where I suffer from it the worst." Despite appearing frequently in the spotlight, Anthony hasn't let her condition get in the way. 

"I started to use my clothing, whether it’s hats or long sleeves or pants -- or when it breaks out on my scalp I’ll do my hair a certain way, like pulled back in a ponytail," she said about dealing with flare-ups, adding that her character in A&E’s "Unforgettable" is currently sporting a slicked-back hairstyle because Anthony is experiencing a flareup. 

"Stress is definitely one of those [triggers], but for me it’s when I get really excited, because I think it’s that adrenaline pumping and a lot of times I see breakouts happening then," she said. "And I’m like, ‘Why is this happening now? Everything’s going so great!’ [Then] sometimes it comes and you don’t even know why." 

Fortunately Anthony is not alone, nor is she the first celebrity to come forward about her struggle with psoriasis. Model Cara Delevingne, reality host Stacy London, singer Cyndi Lauper and Anthony's BFF, Kim Kardashian, are fellow sufferers. 

Anthony's BFF actually helped her to go public with her condition. "The thing I’ve taken from [Kim] is not to be afraid of it, not to be ashamed of it," she said. "It’s something that we have; it doesn’t make us any less human, or weird or freaky. It’s about being open with what we have and being open with other people who are suffering from the same thing. If I was to take anything from her it would be that: to not be ashamed of it."

Luchina Fisher wrote in from Good Morning America