Kathryn Shusta is a social worker and mental health advocate. She is obsessed with florals, Harry Potter trivia, and fighting injustice. To bring her joy, she likes to take wistful walks through meadows and go on boat rides.
Eighteen years ago, I started experiencing intermittent but recurring abscesses on my skin. These abscesses grew to the size of a golf ball and then drained. After they drained, they always left behind large purple-ish grey scars.
Hidradenitis Suppurativa is not a rare disease. It is estimated that 1%-4% of the population has HS.
Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that causes painful recurrent abscesses on the skin. These abscesses often appear in clusters close to each other and sometimes reoccur in the same spot.