The 27-year-old actress opens up about discovering her condition.
Keke Palmer is going filter and makeup free to share her health struggles with fans. The 27-year-old actress took to Instagram on Tuesday to post a series of makeup-free selfies that showed her facial acne.
"Hey you guys, for some of you this may be TMI, but for me my platform has always been used for things much greater than me," she began. "Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome has been attacking me from the inside out my entire life and I had no idea. My acne has been so bad that people in my field offered to pay for me to get it fixed."
Palmer went on to note that she's tried Accutane twice, changed her diet, and even took blood tests to try and determine the cause of her acne.
"It took ME taking a personal look into my family that has a history of diabetes and obesity, to understand what was ACTUALLY happening with me," Palmer wrote of her condition. "And unfortunately doctors are people and if you don’t 'look the part' they may not think that’s your problem. They may not even suggest it if you 'look healthy' whatever that means! I came to a doctor in tears once and all they offered was a measles vaccine... Exactly."
Palmer hopes that her message will inspire others to be comfortable in their own skin.
"My skin has made me sad many nights but I do not give up on myself. I know this is not me and my body has been looking for help," she continued. "I do not have a medical degree but I did the research and took what I learned to a doctor and that led them to a proper diagnosis."
Polycystic ovary syndrome is defined by the Mayo Clinic as a hormonal disorder that can cause infrequent or prolonged periods or excess male hormone levels. Women with PCOS can also fail to release eggs.
"The least harmful thing PCOS can bring is acne. To all the people struggling with this please know you’re not alone and that you are still so f**king fine!" Palmer wrote. "MY ACNE AINT NEVER STOPPED ME. But we don’t have to accept this. Now I can really help KEKE! And I love her so it’s ON."
Palmer has used her platform to speak out this year. She has been a celebrity face for the Black Lives Matter movement and touched on the topic at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, which she hosted. She also has been working on new music to inspire her fans.
"I focused my mind and my energy on creating this place of hope and faith for a better tomorrow, and that's what turned it into the Virgo Tendencies: Part 1 EP, which is a collection of fun songs that help me get through quarantine," Palmer told ET back in August.
Watch the clip below for more from our exclusive interview.
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