Thanks to Hello! Magazine for pointing me to this lengthy post by Daisy Ridley in which she opened up about her health struggles with endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome and chronic acne. It’s actually quite candid and revealing, about which Ridley seems a little self conscious. Ridley, 24, writes that she was diagnosed with endometriosis at the age of 15, that she recently found out she has PCOS and that she’s now dealing with bad skin, which can be a complication of PCOS. Here’s what she wrote and notice the hashtags at the end:
At 15 I was diagnosed with endometriosis. One laparoscopy, many consultations and 8 years down the line, pain was back (more mild this time!) and my skin was THE WORST. I’ve tried everything: products, antibiotics, more products, more antibiotics) and all that did was left my body in a bit of a mess. Finally found out I have polycycstic ovaries and that’s why it’s bad. I can safely say feeling so self conscious has left my confidence in tatters. I hate wearing make up but I currently don’t want to leave the house without it on. HOWEVER PROGRESS IS BEING MADE! (With some help from a dermatologist and cutting out dairy (waah, except for spontaneous ice creams) and cutting down sugar (bigger waah but gotta do what you’ve gotta do)). Finally. Finally. (Throughout all this I’ve only had people being wonderful and encouraging and occasionally making me realise I’m being ridiculous and there’s more to life)… My point is, to any of you who are suffering with anything, go to a doctor; pay for a specialist; get your hormones tested, get allergy testing; keep on top of how your body is feeling and don’t worry about sounding like a hypochondriac. From your head to the tips of your toes we only have one body, let us all make sure ours our working in tip top condition, and take help if it’s needed. #wasthispostlongenough #maybethesehashtagscanbulkitupabit #alsohowmanybracketsdoesonewomanneed #ifyourereadingthisiapplaudyou #thisisaclaymaskincaseyourewondering
[From Daisy Ridley’s Instagram]
I love those hashtags. I’ve heard that cutting out dairy helps reduce acne. It’s something that Woody Harrelson swears by and credits for his veganism. As far as what she wrote about sounding like a hypochondriac – people need to hear that, especially women. So many times we’re told by doctors that it’s “stress” when some simple tests would show that it’s not. Things are changing, but it can be intimidating to go to the doctor and frustrating not to get answers.
From what I understand about endometriosis it can be devastating and difficult to get a diagnosis. Other celebrities who have opened up about their battle with endometriosis include Jamie King and Lena Dunham.
Daisy isn’t letting PCOS keep her from kicking ass. She posted this video last week with highlights from her workouts and it was impressive to say the least. Her trainer seems brutal.
Photos credit: FameFlynet
She’s so pretty. I’m happy she hasn’t become a jerk despite headlining the biggest movie in USA ever.
I really like her; and if five year old original Star Wars fan me could have seen Rey? Wow. After the crushing disappointment of the mannequin they made Natalie Portman into (and the crushing disappointment of the prequels generally), this is the character five year old me was waiting for.
I love Daisy! I follow her instagram and she is so down to earth and normal – so refreshing in a kardashian world.
I feel for her. I hope she can have children if she wants them.
I have moderate adult acne and I’ve also found that cutting out dairy has helped my skin A LOT. I do still get some pimples (especially during PMS time) but the difference has really been remarkable. I wish I had thought to do it sooner, I might have saved myself a lot of negative “I’m so ugly” days.
As for Daisy, I hope she can start to feel better soon. I have heard that PCOS can awful, never mind the endometriosis.
@LadyMTL,
Mine progressed from late twenties through 40s. Now 50, and have been taking saw palmetto for 2 yrs, breakouts are a rarity and small compared to the bothersome cysts which used to be a regular occurrence. Saw Palmetto reduces testosterone’s effects in the skin and hair follicles, so fewer to no pimples, less hair loss. Hooray!
Hmm, I will have to look into saw palmetto. As long as it doesn’t interfere with my birth control pills, I want to try it!
I wouldn’t think so as it is active against androgens, rather than estrogens/progesterone, but the best source for that type of interaction would probably be the PDR for Herbal Medicine (physician’s desk reference) or a naturopathic or integrative medicine physician. I find that 480 mg twice a day is a good dose for me. I tried a lower dose and still had breakthrough acne. Once menopause is official ( good grief, it cannot come soon enough), I will begin to cut back and see how things go. Look for information, and good luck.
i am so glad you posted this. I’m running out to buy it TODAY! i have very mild PCOS symptoms (pms, acne, period all mild) but the #1 symptom is that my testosterone is OFF THE CHARTS. i physically cannot lose weight and when i recently went off BC i grew a beautiful goatee and can put the hair on my ass in a ponytail. can you crush it up and snort it for faster results?
me too – I have Hashimotos, and had to cut out nightshades (peppers, tomatoes), and grapefruit – the give me cystic pimples on my chin area. And they hurt. I have cut down the dairy in our house, but my husband tries to get our pre-teen daughters to drink milk with every meal, because he buys into the vitamin D and calcium narrative the dairy groups have so effectively promoted. I haven’t had a glass of milk in 25 years. I envy people with clear skin.
My mom took me for a dermatologist appointment when I was 13 or so, and I recall him saying food doesn’t lead to acne (it was a conversation about chocolate, of course). It stuck with me. And I cannot believe how ill-informed he was.
My mom used to have us drink at least 2 glasses of milk per day, I think she must have fallen for the same stuff your husband has bought into. 😛 Even today, when I remind her that I don’t eat dairy anymore, she says “but what about your calcium and vitamin D intake?”…and I just remind her that there are plenty of other foods out there that can give me what I need.
@ohdear- Same dairy scenario in our house. I encourage supplementation with Calcium & vitamin D dummies for our teens ( sugar be damned- in this instance).
As Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food.”
I think it is only sensible and logical to look at trends in your skin’s response to anything you consume. Food diaries are a bit of a pain, but can be very enlightening. Individuals respond differently to different substances.
I go to a cosmetologist (?) once a month and having my skin looked after by a professional reduced my acne to just one pimple a month. I used to have cystic acne and was put on Accutane at age 24, but I still had some minor breakouts and very dry skin (plus allergies… my skin sucks).
LOL my skin sucks too. I have blackheads on my nose that will reappear literally the same day I extract them, and if a week goes by where I don’t see some kind of blemish I’m happy. I used to see a dermatologist but he retired, and now I just don’t have the time or energy to find a new one.
Rosehip oil may be a good alternative for multiple skin conditions from acne to dryness, discoloration, scars. I have had good luck with it.
@ladymtl, look up sebaceous filaments
@LadyMTL – Mine is not a dermatologist (though I check in with mine because of the sun and my fear of skin cancer) but a professional cosmetologist (it’s an actual career where I’m from, which was news to me). I have monthly 1-2 hours appointments and my skin looks so much better for it. People actually tell me I have a glow.
But what you say about food is interesting and will definitely try to reduce my diary intake. I’ve also considered going gluten-free.
She is awesome. I have had 5 laps to have endo removed and it has been torture. No one really quite understands how horrible it can be and I have to take 2 shots of Lupron that gives me medicinal menopause twice a year. Yay. So happy gals are speaking out, makes me feel not so alone.
Oh Nicole, I’m sorry. My 18 year old was surgically diagnosed three years ago. So far the lap & cautery, along with birth control and over the counter pain management has made her life livable. I hope things get better for you. Hugs.
I was finally diagnosed with endo in my late 20s. The first drug I took was a steroid (cycolmen) which the Dr warned might give me pimples, facial hair, smaller breasts and that I would fail a drug test if I was an athlete. None of the above happened and I felt just fine. Felt great actually. The next drug was Lupron shots. Horrible menopausal side effects and refused to do it after about 6 months.
I went back on the pill and that kept me from bleeding to death once a month but I still had to take time off work, would faint, etc. Stopped taking the pill at 34 because I was a smoker and Dr would not give me prescription. Quit smoking, went back on the pill in 2001 and take it every day … no 7 day break … no periods.
I’ve been dealing with severe on and off bleeding for the past two years. I’ve yet to receive an official diagnosis beyond “stress.” I’ve switched between birth controls, been to therapists, had three pelvic scans, blood work, and tried heavy duty pain killers to regulate and nothing helps. I really just want a hysterectomy, but I feel like myou doctor and any doctor I try to go to will refuse, because I’m “too young and might change my mind.” And apparently, there are plenty of other options for this undiagnosed problem that I’ve struggled with since getting my period at 11.
I take bcp every day I’m not on Lupron too. I live in Savannah, GA and menopause is not fun in the heat index of 109 degrees!
@Ary
I was told that the only way to diagnose endometriosis is via a laparoscopy. I had drs tell me I had nothing wrong, I had pelvis inflammatory disease (and spent a week in hospital being treated), etc. One even suggested meditation.
It is unlikely you would be able to get a hysterectomy. I asked my dr if that was an option rather than the pill, given my age, and he said no.
Ask your doctor if you can take the pill continuously. It stops you from getting your period and therefore stops the pain and the scar tissue from forming. If I had known I could have done this in my 20s and 30s, I would have.
@Ary, I feel you. I have had this since 10 years old and my doc has given me 2 years to have a baby or hysterectomy. I’m so tired of pain pills and heating pads and no life and missing work.
I agree, it’s lovely to hear famous ladies speak out on this. Doctors can be so horrible, I was told for 16 years I was exaggerating the pain I was in until I was diagnosed with severe endometriosis. Now 11 years later I am going for a hysterectomy in a few months (along with removal of all the endometriosis). It is such a debilitating disease and people are so quick to say you are making it all up. There needs to be more awareness for it. Just because it only affects women doesn’t mean it’s not serious.
Her training video montage is awesome! Rather see a thousand actress interviews like this than the “I just run after my baby and the pounds melt off!” B.S. Go Daisy. I hope teens follow her example.
Exactly. It’s refreshing and realistic to see how much time and effort has to be put forth to look as toned and strong as Daisy does. None of this “I just went for long walks and drank green juice” BS. If you want to look like her, be prepared to WORK for it!!
I like this gal, Good for her for speaking out!… I wonder how celebs with all the access deal with acne/oily skin like Us Normies do things like Accutane if things get bad enough, but I always wonder for example how Kerry Washington and Alicia Keys got their skin to come up to that degree!
I had suuuper bad adult acne. Like all over painful cysts, scarring, pus. I felt like Daisy, having to wear caked on makeup all the time to cover the painful and not so nice looking acne. People would ask me what was wrong and give me sweet advice about taking care of my skin – as if I hadn’t tried everything.
It hurt and was embarrassing and why the crap did I need to worry about wrinkles AND adult acne. WTF body.
So I went to a new dermatologist and started taking spironolactone (a progesterone receptor blocker) and a topical and oral antibiotic.
Face went from pizza to clear in 3 months.
The right dermatologist is crucial, I’d assume more money means quicker access to better professionals. I had to wait 2 months for my first appointment.
If I had money I would be lasering the hell out of my face though. I suspect that non-invasive treatments are done too.
Spiro is amazing! If it’s on cheeks or chin, it’s hormonal and spiro is the way to go.
I tried spiro,too ( and antibiotics, topicals, et cetera). After a while, I became uncomfortable with the possibility of high potassium levels as a side effect (& the inconvenience of going to a lab for bloodwork on the regular). Saw Palmetto does the same, without hyperkalemia as a possible side effect. Acnedotorg had (has?) a whole board filled with user anecdata attesting to its efficacy for those users. I can concur that it is incredibly effective for me.
Really? I’d definitely be interested in reducing my drugs or switching to something a little less intense. Spiro makes me pee like crazy and my doctor is definitely not checking my levels of anything.
I’m frustrated that antibiotics used with other drugs seem to be the cure for me. I HATE taking antibiotics every day.
WOW that is interesting, I was one of those kids in early retin-A in Venezuela and that burned the Crap out of my skin but I’ve had to go on Oral antibiotics once or twice before, I got a clinical Peel a few years ago and it was scary at first but it completely changed the game for my skin!
Thanks so much for the info Butterfly, I will check it out asap!
I may be the minority here. Many accounts describe her as being haughty and arrogant and unkind. I have such difficulty watching after knowing that.
As for endometriosis, it is a pain in the ass and makes weight loss difficult. I also have to be conscious of any endocrine disruptors like sugar, soy isolates, artificial sweetners and hydrogenated and processed fats, which seem to be in everything these days.
I have been described as arrogant and haughty in my youth, but really I was just shy from acne. Could be that?
It’s possible.
Given that she mentions her confidence being really low, I think that’s very likely.
I obviously don’t know her personally, but if some of her other Instagram posts and interviews are any indication, “haughty, arrogant and unkind” would be some of the nicer things that could be said. If she were American she would be getting ripped apart right now, with words such as “crass”, “vulgar”, and “oversharing” being bandied about, no doubt.
That said, I’m glad she’s speaking openly about this. I may have issues with the messenger, but in this case the importance of the message overrides that. Like it or not, she has a platform and a willing audience, and far too many women suffer with these conditions in silence and embarrassment, or as others have mentioned, seek out a doctor only to be told it’s “stress”.
I am going to offer a counterpoint.
I spend some time on reddit and other places where nerdy-ish guys converge, and there are lots of stories of “I saw this actress going about her day, I ran up to her and tried to touch her and force her to engage with me, and she didn’t immediately drop everything she was doing to talk to me! What a c*nt!”
I am certain she is getting a TON of attention right now, and I would not doubt she is trying to be good to her fans while still drawing a line.
oops, double post.
Seeing as the topic is endo, I thought your name said INeedAPap, thanks for the laugh!
I have endometriosis most doctors miss diagnosis for many years. It’s time to change things. There needs to be more trained specialists!
More Daisy. I don’t usually want to hear more from early 20 something celebrities, but please – talk more Daisy. She seems compassionate and down to earth in the way she is telling her very personal story. I hope it lasts, because I really enjoy what she has to say.
Also, A+ for showing that lifting doesn’t make you unattractive or too manly. So important for women’s health and so frequently you get that ‘don’t lift or you’ll get giant man muscles’ crap. she looks like a BAMF there.
Good morning everyone! I can totally relate to this post. I have severe endometriosis and uterine fibroids. I am seriously considering a hysterectomy even though I’m 38 ( single, no kids for full disclosure). I have tried everything except IUD due to my uterus being so thin and nothing but bad with relatives and friends. I am now doubling up on my pill every nite as a last resort.
I keep thinking what if I do meet a great guy and decide I do want kids? The onky man I ever wanted kids with died when i was 24 and i keep thinking i can be the fun, crazy, aunt.
My family here in Boston and my family in California just want me to be happy, healthy, and not in pain.
Sorry for long post.
PS….sorry to change subject, but did anyone see Zara’s dress, hat, and “low curtsy”? Have a fabulous day all!
🙂
I feel you. I had a hysterectomy at 38 ( no kids) and while I do get a little sad about the whole process, I’ve never felt better. Not being in horrible pain is the best thing to happen to me. I hope you find a solution that works for you.
Have you had endo pain come back after the hysterectomy?
Hi Dragon! Thank you very much for your kind words. I am truly appreciative for your kind words and everyone elses’s words too! I hope you and everyone has a great day! 🙂
PS…I wish the government would focus more on “hidden cancers”.. Ex: uterine, ovarian instead of just breast cancer. But one step at a time. 🙂
Loved Zara’s curtsy!
I’m lactose intolerant so I keep milk to a minimum or I end up with these gross weird bumps on my arms. However I’ve heard a few people recommend giving up diary in general because of how the cows are given hormones so they lactate so like commercial milk isn’t the most healthy option. Since I can’t bring myself to give up cheese I just have a policy of not having dairy products at home. That way I have to get leave my home to eat cheese or have milk. And I view dairy products as a special treat.
I love how open she is about her health issues because it spreads awareness and hopefully helps others feel more comfortable about their own obstacles.
Her workouts are so inspirational! I’m so glad she’s the protagonist of the current Star Wars film! She has a captivating screen presence and an amazingly humble attitude off screen.
A note on hormones in milk: Most dairy cows in the U.S. aren’t given artificial hormones anymore – rBST, which improves cows’ ability to digest feed and produce more milk, was pretty popular in the ’80s and ’90s, but in the last 10 years milk processors stopped accepting milk from rBST-treated cattle. (And ALL milk is antibiotic-free. Cows treated for illness with antibiotics have their milk withheld until the antibiotics are out of their systems, and all milk is tested for antibiotic residue before it even leaves the farm. Antibiotic traces = thousands of pounds of milk down the drain.)
Signed, a dairy farm kid who still loves her cows.
I love her and her instagram!! She’s incredibly hard-working, grateful for her fans and just seems like she enjoys life a lot.
She is just so lovely!
I HAD noticed her skin, not that it’s anything out of the ordinary for the real world but just not the norm for million-dollar movie stars. I’m 23 and still break out hormonally, with pretty painful cystic acne.
I know she wasn’t preaching to people who couldn’t, but I never really like “pay for the specialist!” Girl, you think I wouldn’t have done that if I could?!
Endometriosis is no laughing matter. I had it for years.
Once burned a hole in my back from the heating pad just to get the pain down, and once even contemplated going to the ER as I could not get the pain down. It affected my work days and most likely affected my fertility.
The laparoscopy was a miracle worker for me. Completely changed my life, and it turns out I only had mild end once the docs checked me out from the inside so I CAN NOT imagine what bad endometriosis is.
If you have endometriosis, definitely check it out.
She is adorable.
My heating pad did the same!
My sister has pcos, diagnosed as a young teen. She’s always been very overweight, was told she’d never have kids, but her skin has always been good. And she actually does have a four year old, because she is horrible at remembering to take meds. The variables in disorders are so interesting.
Me, on the other hand, horrible periods, ovulation, all of it. I’m infertile, overweight, and this past March, experienced what is apparently called a “super period.” Which is an annoyingly cheeky way of saying “bordering on hemorrhaging and ripping out my own uterus because it seems less painful, somehow.” I wound up getting Mirena, and have finally stopped bleeding, but I still get the occasional painful shooting cramp, and my energy is in the crapper. (Also, Mirena because these symptoms are apparently indicative of cervical cancer, and the hormones in Mirena are supposed to help treat or curb it.) All the women in my family have either had hysterectomies around ages 28-35, or have been diagnosed with fibroids, pcos, cysts, hashimoto’s, meanwhile I have always had symptoms, but apparently I’m just unlucky. Having a uterus is for the birds, IMHO.
Thanks for letting me know about the weight, doc never told me that.
I hate to say “ugh, doctors,” because not all of them suck, but ugh, doctors. A friend of my sister’s also was diagnosed with pcos around the same time my sister was. She was put on the pill and lost just about all of her baby pudge. My sister was put on the pill and Avandia (a diabetes medication, I guess a type of insulin, not sure), she didn’t lose any weight. Like I said, very interesting how the same disorder will present differently in different people. From my understanding, the main outward physical signs are overweight, excess hair on face/arms, and acne. It also seems like the weight just kind of sneaks up on a person, too. Just thinking about the women I know who have been diagnosed with this over the last 20 years, it’s alarming. And the I guess fear that doctors have of being too aggressive when looking for things like endometriosis, or even their utter dismissal, it makes me want to rip out my parts myself and save the headache for something else.
Hopefully your doctors (assuming you have pcos, or even just in general) shape up and give you the information you need and deserve! This isn’t just our ability to procreate at stake here. It’s our ability to lead normal, healthy lives.
Nicole: I also have PCOS and gained about the same amount of weight you did in the same amount of time. And it doesn’t matter what diet or exercise regime you do that weight is there to stay with most women I know. And the hair! Ugh. And I’ve never been able to conceive. I know some women eventually do, but not me. My periods were very infrequent and when I had them they were gushers. My doc said that my uterine lining keeps building up waiting for an egg to come through and when the egg never comes your body gives up and there’s the gusher. PCOS sucks and one woman might have a symptom that another one doesn’t. About your migraines. OMG I have them. They run in my family. I sometimes think I’m going to stroke out. I went to a migraine specialist and he put me on 3 drugs: Prozac, Topamax, and Propanolol. For some reason these drugs work together and they have changed my life. If I get a migraine now I can take care of it with Excedrin. My sister tried this concoction and it didn’t work for her. She does the Botox injections and they help her. I wish you all the luck in the world solving your physical problems. Be persistent and remember that what works for one person might not work for another. And don’t forget that you are not alone. There are lots of women out there going through the same thing.
@Angela, Thank you so much for the reassurance. I take the propranolol too. Did topamax years ago and refuse to again. I tried a great non addicting muscle relaxer but of course it was hundreds of dollars. The Botox already covers that end for me. Not moneybags here. Thanks so much again.
My doc is great, I do have PCOS and endo and it is a living nightmare. I gained 75 lbs in the span of 6 months and have not been able to take it off for 7 years. 5 laps and remove endo everytime! I take bcp daily when not on the lupron shot. It is torture, sometimes I wonder if I will be stuck with a part time job in the end because of work missed. Don’t get me started on the migraines, just this week my fiance told me he misses us going to the library and to movies, etc. And how can we get married if I can not live a normal life? Feels miserable. I got a dry erase board and am now tracking food triggers, everything. I go on sites like hystersisters, etc because I feel like I will lose my mind sometimes. And then it gets really depressing sometimes, suicidal feelings, the works. But I always tell myself to make it 24 more hours.
Geez. I’m sorry you’re going through all that! 🙁 Good thing you have a doctor you like. And it sounds like you’re being proactive, despite the horribleness you’re experiencing. Don’t give up hope! <3 And if it helps, my sister was not supposed to be able to have children, but she forgot her pill one day, and now has a daughter. She's also struggled to lose weight/keep off weight she's lost. The most success she has is when she gives up sugar, soda and fast food. Which sounds like the most basic, obvious advice. But even when she was pregnant, she was eating a lot of carrots and raw broccoli, no soda, no fast food, and still only managed to lose about 40lbs, which is a good bit less than half of the total she needs to lose. I guess if I was handing out suggestions, I'd say if you or anyone in your family has diabetes or any sort of issue in that line, quit sugar and see what happens. I'm hoping you find something that helps you get back to you. (and a friend of mine would suggest acupuncture. She also has endo and just swears by it. Couldn't hurt!)
I experienced suicidal thoughts while on ortho-cyclen. I already struggle with chronic, low grade depression with bouts of deeper depression (I prefer to call it being a realist, haha.) But the entire time I was on that was miserable and just dark. And I think, iirc, I only took it about 4-6 months. It's great that we have so many options for treatment, but at the same time, for those of us who have to basically make guinea pigs of ourselves, it's disheartening. Especially when it seems like there's nothing that really helps. /novel
Hey, i’m a realist too! My family is pretty dark as well, long history. I will take all those suggestions and stick to it. I have been as active as possible lately and do as much yoga as possible. Every little bit helps and every helpful word you have written has truly made me feel better. Thank you for such thoughtfulness. Calling the acupuncturist tomorrow! I worked with a pharmacist who said she could feel electricity moving in her body after her mastectomy with the needles. Huge hugs JustCrimmles!
I must say I love me some Daisy Ridley. My 6 yo daughter asks for her hair to be done “like Rey” each morning and it makes me ridiculously happy that she has this good role model in that character. She hasn’t seen the new movie, just read books etc. We were out the other day and I saw Star Wars balloons for sale. The center images were Rey and Fynn and it made me even more ridiculously happy that the leads in this massive movie were a POC and a woman. I read the Star Wars writers want to put openly LBGTQ characters in the movies, I hope they do that. Just a small rey (sorry couldn’t resist) of light in the otherwise mostly sh!tty news out there right now.
My middle name is Rae, favorite Sailor Scout Rei/Mars, so more Reys is a good thing imo! 😀
I always appreciate it when celebrities mention PCOS! Been battling it for 15 years, but am fortunate that I was able to have 3 kids. Hope Daisy can if she wants them. It really sucks to have acne at 36, I can completely relate to her comments about not wanting to go out without make-up. Would love to have her figure, it’s something like 3xharder for women with PCOS to lose weight than the average woman.
Stay healthy, young one. Try to remain positive. You’ve inherited the true female curses, and as one who grew up suffering all the of same, and giving up on kids and femininity at 38 after horrific steroids and 6 surgeries, I so wish you the best.
PCOS may be common, but it’s rough. Mine is making me bald and as a 20 something woman, it is horrifying. I gain weight easily because I can’t control my blood sugar, I am always hungry. I get terrible PMS, it makes me literally fall asleep for two days and I have no energy. It makes me feel unfeminine and somehow less of a woman, even though that is a stupid thought. My mum had to have a hysterectomy because of fibroids and my sister has pcos too, it runs in the family.
As someone who has endometriosis, I appreciate it when famous women come out and talk about endometriosis. When it comes to illnesses that affect women only, there are always men who are more than happy to come out and say it is all psychological and in our heads (ie. Dr. Drew and endometriosis). It helps us all when women like her talk about their experiences.