Hives aren’t exactly the sexiest topic of discussion, but that’s so often the case for some of the most important conversations of all—skin cancer and mental health being a couple more. What do these all have in common? Celebrities have joined the conversation, bringing awareness to each condition and helping others feel a little less alone.
And alone no one should feel. Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU)—hives with no identifiable trigger that last six weeks or longer—affects roughly one percent of the United States, per up-to-date stats from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), which may sound low but actually accounts for millions of people. And that’s just the chronic version. There’s also physical urticaria, triggered by things like friction, pressure, cold or sun exposure—and stress hives, which develop when an overactive nervous system floods the skin with histamine.
Ahead, meet five celebrities who’ve gotten candid about their own hives, from Vanessa Lachey’s lifelong battle with CSU to Chrissy Teigen’s stress-triggered breakouts before red carpets.
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Getty Images / Olivia Wong
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Getty Images / Brianna Bryson
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Getty Images / Marleen Moise
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Frankie Batista
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