Holistic Hidradenitis Suppurativa Help

03/04/2026

These are the habits I refuse to drop because they help keep my inflammation steadier long-term 👇

1. I build my meals around protein and fibre - That alone changed how reactive my body felt.

2. I eat in a way that keeps my blood sugar stable - Less chaos internally = fewer flare surprises.

3. I adjust quickly when I notice early signals - I don’t wait for a full-blown flare anymore.

4. I protect my stress levels like they matter - Because with HS, they do.

5. I choose consistency over extremes - Inflammation responds to patterns, not perfection.

Remission wasn’t about a magic product.

It was about daily habits that support my immune system instead of stressing it.

If you want the structure I use to support HS with food and lifestyle, comment GUIDE and I’ll send you the first chapter 💜

Disclaimer: Sharing what worked for me personally. Always talk to your healthcare provider about your own care.

03/03/2026

I know how desperate HS flares can feel 😅

When you’re in severe pain, urgent care or the ER feels like the fastest option. But here’s the hard truth: treating HS flare by flare doesn’t address the condition itself.

Incision and drainage might give temporary relief, but HS is a chronic inflammatory disease. If the underlying inflammation isn’t managed, the area often refills and scars over time.

That cycle can make future procedures more complicated and can leave you feeling stuck.

If you can, try to connect with a dermatologist who understands HS and can discuss longer-term options. You deserve care that looks at the whole condition, not just the moment you’re in.

And while procedures matter, so does systemic support. Inflammation management, blood sugar stability, and nutrition all play a role in how flares behave over time.

If you want my framework for supporting HS from the inside out, comment GUIDE and I’ll send you the first chapter of my ebook 💜

Disclaimer: Sharing what worked for me personally. Always talk to your healthcare provider about your own care.

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03/03/2026

03/02/2026

The simple reason my HS is in remission and yours might not be…

It has nothing to do with willpower, or me being “special” – because I’m not 🙅‍♀️

And if you’ve followed my journey at all, you know I tried a lot of things for years that didn’t work:

- Random supplements.
- Extreme elimination phases.
- Over-restricting.
- Treating every flare like a separate emergency.

So what changed?

My understanding of HS.

HS is a chronic inflammatory disease driven by immune overactivation. It isn’t random, and it isn’t just about skin. If you don’t lower the inflammation driving it, you’re just managing symptoms on repeat.

There isn’t one magic root cause.

But there are patterns.

For me, it meant stabilizing blood sugar, identifying my personal trigger foods, lowering systemic inflammation, and being consistent instead of extreme.

That’s when things shifted.

Remission didn’t come from doing more.

It came from understanding what was actually happening in my body and responding specifically to that.

Do you know your HS triggers? 💜

Disclaimer: Sharing what worked for me personally. Always talk to your healthcare provider about your own care.

03/01/2026

Cyst vs. HS lesion — they are NOT the same biologically or surgically.

A common **epidermoid cyst** (often called a “sebaceous cyst”) is a *true cyst*: a closed sac lined with keratin-producing epithelial cells. It forms when the follicular infundibulum gets blocked and keratin continues accumulating inside a well-defined capsule. Because it has a discrete wall, definitive treatment is complete surgical excision of the cyst **including the entire capsule (“cyst sac”)**. If the sac is left behind, keratin production continues and recurrence is likely.

Now compare that to **Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS)**.

HS is **not a cystic disorder**. It’s a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease driven by follicular occlusion, rupture, and a dysregulated innate immune response (involving TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-17 pathways). Instead of a single encapsulated sac, HS creates:

• Recurrent inflammatory nodules
• Abscesses without a true epithelial capsule
• Interconnected sinus tracts (“tunnels”)
• Extensive dermal scarring and fibrosis

Because there is **no true cyst wall**, there is no “sac” to remove.

That’s where procedure differences matter:

**Cyst Excision**
– Elliptical incision
– Blunt + sharp dissection around the intact capsule
– Entire sac removed en bloc
– Goal: eliminate the keratin-producing lining

**Deroofing (for HS tunnels)**
– The “roof” of a sinus tract is surgically opened
– Chronic inflammatory tissue and debris are removed
– The base of the tract is preserved
– Wound heals by secondary intention
– Goal: collapse the tunnel and reduce recurrence while preserving surrounding tissue

Deroofing is tissue-sparing and targets the pathologic tunnel network — not a capsule, because none exists.

Why this distinction matters:
Mislabeling HS as “just cysts” delays appropriate medical therapy (biologics, anti-inflammatories, hormonal modulation) and leads to repeated I&Ds that don’t address the underlying disease process.

Different pathology.
Different surgical anatomy.
Different long-term management strategy.

Understanding the biology changes the outcome.

03/01/2026

Mindful eating is hard when you have a chronic illness.

Because it’s not just “eat intuitively.”
It’s “avoid the foods that trigger inflammation.”
It’s “manage blood sugar.”
It’s “don’t flare.”

My journey was backwards. I put hidradenitis suppurativa in remission 9 years ago. And I maintained it with unwavering dedication and diligence. Adding in a GLP 2 years ago did 2 things:

➡️Gave me more flexibility with my diet
➡️Helped my body respond to my healthy lifestyle the way it should!

Being on a GLP-1 didn’t make me hyper-restrictive.

It did the opposite.

I can leverage the anti-inflammatory benefits of the GLP to have more flexibility with my diet. It’s been liberating.

I started with restriction — not to lose weight, but to survive my symptoms. Gluten is still 100% off the table. Other triggers like dairy and nightshades? I mostly avoid them, but after years of healing and reducing inflammation, my body tolerates small amounts without spiraling.

If I meet a friend for coffee and a sweet treat, I just enjoy it. Maybe we go for a walk after. Maybe we don’t. There’s no drama around it.

For years I was the most active, most “disciplined,” most anti-inflammatory eater in the room — and still in the larger body. As a someone who has been a public figure in the wellness space…. That disconnect is heavy.

Living in a body that responds normally to food?
That’s freedom.

For me, this is what mindful eating actually feels like.

02/28/2026

Wound care with HS is a whole skill set no one prepares you for 🥲

It’s not just about covering a flare. It’s about protecting your skin without ripping it apart every time you remove a bandage. When you’re already dealing with pain, the last thing you need is adhesive trauma on top of it.

Finding options that are gentler, especially in sensitive areas, made such a difference for me emotionally and physically. Less fear around changing dressings. Less bracing for pain. More dignity.

And if wound care feels overwhelming or expensive, please know there are options and sometimes even coverage through insurance. You deserve support that doesn’t make things worse.

You’re not dramatic for wanting less pain. You’re allowed to make this easier on yourself. 💛

Disclaimer: Sharing what worked for me personally. Always talk to your healthcare provider about your own care.

02/27/2026

Bone broth is an excellent way to get added nutrients, boost your immunity, and reduce inflammation 🤌

Ingredients:

- 4 pounds grass fed beef bones
- 10 cups of filtered water
- 2 Vidalia onions, halved
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 bay leaves

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F. Place bones and ones on a sheet pan and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 45 minutes.
2. Next, transfer them to the bowl of your slow cooker (or electric pressure cooker).
3. Add in the bay leaves, apple cider vinegar and water.
4. Pressure cook on high for 3 hours, then cancel and immediately start a slow cook for 22 hours.
5. When done, place a fine mesh sieve or strainer over a large bowl or pitcher. Carefully strain broth.
6. Discard the bones and bay leaves.
7. Distribute the broth between three mason jars, about 2 cups each.
8. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
9. To heat, gently simmer stove top.

Disclaimer: Sharing what worked for me personally. Always talk to your healthcare provider about your own care.

02/26/2026

02/26/2026

I thought these were harmless… until I realized they were keeping my HS flaring 👇

1. Skipping meals then binging - my blood sugar would swing, and my skin would pay for it.
2. Eating too many processed or fried foods - constant inflammation, constant flares.
3. Snacking on sugar or refined carbs all day - every sweet treat seemed to trigger a flare.
4. Not eating enough fiber or veggies - my gut health suffered, and so did my skin.
5. Drinking too much alcohol or caffeine - it messed with my hormones and flares came back stronger.

HS isn’t about being perfect.

It’s about learning what keeps your body calmer 💜

Disclaimer: Sharing what worked for me personally. Always talk to your healthcare provider about your own care.

02/25/2026

One of the hardest parts of HS is realizing there’s no single product that works for everyone 👎

What helped me came down to gentle support, reducing irritation, managing pain, and giving my skin a chance to calm instead of constantly fighting it.

Topicals were never about “fixing” HS for me, they were about making flare days more manageable and less overwhelming while I worked on the bigger picture.

If you’re still experimenting and figuring out what your skin tolerates, you’re not behind. You’re learning your body.

And honestly, some of the best tips I’ve learned have come from this community, so if something has helped you, share it below. We all benefit from comparing notes 💜

02/24/2026

If you think HS is just ‘another skin condition’ that can be fixed by better hygiene, you’ve been misinformed, and I’ll explain why!

I thought if I just scrubbed harder, showered more, changed products, maybe the boil-like abscesses, scars, and pain would stop. But they didn’t..

Because hygiene was never the problem.

The fact is, HS is a chronic inflammatory condition.

It’s connected to hormones, blood sugar, stress, and gut health.

It’s not your fault, and it’s not because you’re dirty.

Here are 5 things I wish someone had told me sooner:

1️⃣ HS isn’t caused by poor hygiene; it’s inflammation.
2️⃣ It often goes undiagnosed for years, leaving people isolated and confused.
3️⃣ Nutrition and lifestyle won’t “cure” HS, but can dramatically reduce flare frequency and it doesn’t mean you cant enjoy your life.
4️⃣ Stress is fuel for inflammation, and managing it matters.
5️⃣ Finding a supportive community changes everything.

And because knowledge really is power, I put everything I’ve learned, from managing triggers to restoring gut health and calming inflammation, into my brand new ebook, which I am sharing with anyone who comments GUIDE below. 💜