Jasmine Espy was just 13 when she woke up with a golf-ball-size lump under her arm.
It was so bad, Espy, now age 30, tells SELF.
Its important to know your triggers.
Gracia Lam
She also noticed stress had a big impact.
HS can affect your career and relationships.
Mario Otero, 41, has been living with HS for about 26 years.
The condition significantly impacted many aspects of his life, including his job.
I had to step away from my career because of my HS, Otero tells SELF.
It can also affectdating and relationships, as SELF previously reported.
It may affect other parts of life too.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve missed family commitments or friend commitments, Otero says.
Finding support is so important.
Its central to healing, she says.
Community would have helped me tremendously because I went into isolation and shame.
For me personally, its just been really a big game changer, he affirms.
But it doesnt have to be a groupa single individual can be a lifesaver.
Theyre just as heartbreaking.
Her therapist is one of the best individuals that I’ve ever met, says Espy.
You really need to care for your wounds.
Exercise can helpbut you cant sit around in sweaty gym clothes.
Espy, for instance, tells SELF that her life started to improve when she began working out regularly.
Sitting in tight, sweaty gym clothes erupts these little boils in my skin," she explains.
A dermatologists care can make a big difference.
Her doctor has done everything possible to ensure Espys health, she says.
Similarly, Otero found that finding competent physicians who understood HS made all the difference.
Theres nothing to be ashamed about.
It affects almost 1% of the population, says Dr. Kimball.
One reason its underrecognized is thatpeople are often too embarrassedto talk about the symptoms, she says.
When Charles first discovered boils in her underarms and inner thighs, she thought she had an STI.
Like, no one else in my family has it.
If she could do one thing, she would tell her younger self to speak up, she says.
I feel like I was very scared to talk about it when I was younger.
Espy also struggled for too long with shame and embarrassment about her HS when she was young.
