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“For 7 years I thought I was disgusting, or that something was genuinely wrong with me,” Kayla Liptrot, known to her friends as Kells, began in a vulnerable Instagram post.

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When it comes to Hidradenitis Suppurativa, there’s a lot that’s misunderstood. For starters, many people have never even heard of HS, let alone have a comprehensive understanding of the symptoms, or possible courses of treatment.

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Yalon Hutchinson’s battle with Hidradenitis Suppurativa started when most people’s do, around age 15. As a sophomore in high school, Yalon was on a field trip when she recalls feeling a strange sensation on her inner thigh.

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For Selina Ferragamo, being diagnosed with Hidradenitis Suppurativa was not a straightforward task. The 25-year-old native Long Islander, who is currently a student and graphic artist, first started getting symptoms around 10th grade.

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Maggie McGill was only 19-years-old when she first noticed painful bumps between her thighs. “I was working at a outdoor summer camp and the sweat and friction from walking outside worsened my symptoms.

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For Chloé Longuet, her very first experience with HS happened around the summer of 2007. “I remember having what was a pimple, smack in the middle of my chest, small and located right at my bra band. It hurt.

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At the center of her life, Jasmine “Ivanna” Espy is a storyteller. Whether she’s writing poetry or directing film, Espy’s dream is not only to share the experience of being human, but to inspire others to share their stories, too.

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Though you’ve probably come across many people who have been supportive and loving partners to those struggling with chronic illnesses, you might not have come across Anjel Marii.

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“I sometimes think back to that moment and of how blissfully unaware I was of what the next decade would look like for me,” Pooja Parikh, an Oklahoma City local and years-long HS sufferer shares, recalling the first flare up…