Living with HS: ‘You’re So Much More Than the Scars’

Photos courtesy of Cydney Carter and UCB To the average eye, hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) may look like a pimple or cyst. However, to the approximately 3.3 million people living with HS in the United States, the condition is far more serious, presenting itself during puberty with extremely painful, pus-filled lumps deep within the skin – typically found in the armpits, groin and butt area. Although the disease can affect anyone, women are more than twice as likely to have the condition – and Black people are three times as likely to have the condition. Despite this, many people live with the condition for several years before receiving a proper diagnosis. The average time from symptom onset to HS diagnosis is 10 years with more than three misdiagnoses along the way.  Social media influencer and mother of four, Cydney Carter is one of those people. She first began experiencing symptoms of hidradenitis suppurativa around the age of 11 or 12. It started with bumps on her inner thighs. At that time, neither she nor her mother knew what it was. They tried various home remedies, but the condition quickly spread. It wasn’t until Carter was in high school that she received...