There’s something wonderful about the pixie-like Cyndi Lauper, whose 1983 smash song “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” became a worldwide anthem, urging women of all ages to do what the song advises.
Lauper embodies coolness. Her unique, carefree personality, creative dress, and colorful hair motivate others with the message to be yourself.
But, beneath the comical voice that generates feel-good energy in her listeners, the artist suffers from psoriasis, a terrible skin condition that was once so aggressive that “it looked like someone threw boiling water on me.”
The 69-year-old renowned pop artist has revealed her ongoing struggle with psoriasis, an incurable chronic skin illness that she received a diagnosis for in 2010.
Psoriasis is a skin ailment that can cause severe pain, itching, discomfort, and scaly areas. The skin condition affects around 8 million people in the United States and 125 million people globally.
Lauper initially noticed scalp irritations and general discomfort, which worsened over time.
She initially blamed the itching scalp on the regular dyeing of her hair, but the incidents persisted, inflicting physical and mental misery on the award-winning performer.
The “Time After Time” singer is a working mother, traveling pop star, and activist.
Motivated by her lesbian sister Ellen, Lauper is a human rights activist who works tirelessly to support the LGBT community.
She dedicated her 2005 song “Above the Clouds” to Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old homosexual student murdered in Wyoming. She also launched “True Colors,” a musical tour that benefits local and private LGBT organizations and foundations, in 2007-2008.
In addition to her activism, Lauper is a talented singer,songwriter, and actress. Lauper has received multiple prizes over her four-decade career, including a Tony Award, two Grammy prizes, an MTV Music Video Award, and an Emmy Award for her 1995 participation in an episode of the TV series Mad About You.
In 2013, US President Barack Obama invited her as a special guest to his second inauguration, and she also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Lauper is a formidable force, unaffected by her condition. The True Colors singer is learning to handle stress, which can cause a flare-up.
Despite suffering from severe psoriasis, Lauper wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway hit musical Kinky Boots, which earned her a Tony Award for Best Original Score. Lauper is the first woman to win a Tony Award in just that category. The musical also received five other Tony Awards, including Best New Musical.
Lauper spoke openly with the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) about her autoimmune skin problem in the hopes of helping others.
“I’ve never been able to manage stress.” She explained that she has taken a holistic approach to healing and stress relief both at home and on the road. She learned Reiki, a Japanese practice for stress relief and relaxation, and stated, “That helps me.”
In addition to reiki, Lauper meditates, practices yoga, and goes for walks in nature with her dog and/or husband, David Thornton, whom she married in 1991. They have one son, born in 1997.
“It’s not a bad thing to take care of yourself,” Lauper remarked, urging people to “make a little time for you.”
You may start small. “How about five minutes for you?” she continued.
With a lot of tenacity, Lauper admits that “when psoriasis gets really bad, it’s really hard to get up again.” She has occasionally been unable to control her body temperature, resulting in a cold that can lead to hypothermia. Despite her slumber, the discomfort worsened, and those who questioned the severity of the issue, stating, “It’s just a rash,” exacerbated the situation.
“You don’t have to suffer,” Lauper said. There are treatments available to alleviate the frequently terrible consequences of psoriasis, including topical, oral, and injectable. Lauper found relief with Novartis’ Cosentyx, and, as its advocate, she claims she is “four years clear.”
Lauper talked to HealthDay in 2017 about her psoriasis management strategy.
The amusing aspect is that people often wear gloves to conceal their psoriasis, but this isn’t always the case. I wasn’t wearing gloves, so I thought, ‘Woo-hoo, check this out! Isn’t everyone hiding it? You’d be surprised at how many people have it, but they don’t talk about it.
She discusses it on her podcast, PsO in the Know, which features celebrities, advocates, and regular people who provide insights on life with psoriasis.
You can download the show, currently in its third season, from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify.
Lauper is hardly the only star to have psoriasis. Kim Kardashian, 42, received her diagnosis at the age of 30, and she has been open about her struggles. Her 67-year-old mother, Kris Jenner, experienced her first outbreak in her late 20s and described it as “life-changing.” Other celebrities with psoriasis include musician Art Garfunkel (81), actor Jon Lovitz (65), and “The Beaver” or Jerry Mathers (74).
We are really lucky to have role models like Cyndi Lauper, who uses her platform to assist others in overcoming their issues. She is a bold lady, and we can’t fathom the world without her abilities and adventure!