The 23-year-old has taken to Facebook to share that she suffers from psoriasis – an autoimmune disease that speeds up the growth of skin cells and leaves her with marks all over her body. But instead of retreating from the spotlight, Moira wants to shine a light on her condition.
“Insecurity: I have psoriasis,” she began her candid post. “No cure for it, just treatments that may or may or may not help at all.”
“It started appearing on my limbs and back when I was in high school and appears annually.”
The Triggers? Cold, dry weather and stress.
“During these seasons, I would invest in different types of cream, hide it with foundation or, on lazy days, just cover up my entire body with pants and sweatshirts,” she wrote.
“I remember always looking at other girls with deep envy, wishing I had their skin, wishing I had their legs so I wouldn’t have to hide all the time.”
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Thankfully, time has helped Moira to overcome her self-consciousness.
“Today when I saw myself in the mirror wearing this dress and seeing the psoriasis had resurfaced, I started to cry,” she wrote.
“All the pain and exhaustion from all the hiding and efforts of trying to cure it just came out of nowhere… and just when I was about to change, I found myself heading for the door instead.”
“I’m no longer gonna let this condition place me in a level of shame and weakness but of strength,” she continued. “No longer will I allow psoriasis to be a basis for my security.”
“I’ll be honest… I still feel vulnerable. I don’t feel beautiful yet… but I do feel braver.”
She concluded her message by prompting the 125 million other sufferers around the world to follow her lead.
“We don’t have to hide,” she said. “We are just as beautiful, just as strong, just as secure.”
Her post has received more than 18,000 likes since it was shared on Friday morning, with fans flooding the comments with their words of support.
According to Mayo Clinic, psoriasis is not contagious and is largely caused by genetics. When the skin cells build up, red, scaly patches are formed on the skin that can be itchy and painful. However, between flare ups, the skin may appear completely normal.
While there is no cure for the disease, symptoms can be managed using steroids and other anti-inflammatory creams. Oral medication and biologic injections are sometimes prescribed for treatment in severe cases.
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