Whenever we hear about a successful person, regardless of the profession, we automatically tend to assume that everything else in their life is running smoothly.
But as Katelyn Ohashi has shown to us, even the most successful people have their own set of struggles which they deal with on a daily basis. For Ohashi, these struggles come in the form of her skin condition called granuloma annulare.
Ohashi rose to international fame when she ended up with a perfect 10 score for her epic floor routine while competing in the Under Armour Collegiate Challenge.
She decided to use her fame to create awareness about the skin condition which she is currently experiencing by posing without clothes for the Body Issue of the ESPN.
Feeling Ashamed
The most major sign of granuloma annulare is the circular bumps that appear on the skin of the patient, which in Ohashi’s case cover the entirety of her body. According to her, some of these bumps look very similar to a bruise, while others are in a perfectly circular shape.
Although these marks don’t make a difference to her, at least not anymore, she is still reminded of them every time someone else points to her stomach and asks about them.
Naturally, this used to bring a lot of shame to Ohashi, who had then stopped taking any pictures of herself whenever she was not wearing adequate clothing, especially if her stomach was showing because that’s where the marks are the most prominent.
Explaining Granuloma Annulare
According to experts, granuloma annulare is a disorder of the skin that is chronic and degenerative in nature. This is split up into sub-types, with the localized version of granuloma annulare being the most common, which becomes apparent in the form of small bumps that are either yellow or red in color and form rings.
As of now, researchers have not been able to discover the cause of this disorder, but some studies have hinted that perhaps trauma, excessive exposure to the sun, a disease in the thyroid, the onset of tuberculosis, and numerous infections of a viral nature may be to blame for it.
Basically, these bumps are formed as a result of inflammation underneath the superficial surface of the skin, a phenomenon called granulomas.
Although some patients experience a very mild impact of the disorder, whereby only a few bumps form on the entire body, for others, especially those who are already suffering from diabetes, the disorder can wreak havoc on their skin by forming hundreds of bumps.
If you are suffering from granuloma annulare and want to treat the condition, unfortunately, medical science has little to offer.
According to experts, the bumps will go away on their own, but they will also return in most cases. However, by using steroid injections or some topical creams, their severity can certainly be mitigated. But, not all solutions are suitable for every patient, hence you should pay a visit to the dermatologist to figure out the most perfect solution for yourself.