Cyndi Lauper, with her pixie-like charm and the 1983 hit song “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” became a global icon, inspiring women everywhere to embrace fun and freedom. She’s all about style and empowerment, with her bright hair, unique fashion, and lively, carefree personality that screams, “Be yourself!”
But behind the vibrant colors and joyful tunes, Lauper has been fighting a tough battle. She has psoriasis, a chronic skin condition so severe at times that she said, “it looked like someone threw boiling water on me.” Despite her upbeat and playful image, Lauper’s been dealing with this painful and incurable skin disease since she was diagnosed in 2010.
Psoriasis is no small thing. It can cause scaly patches, extreme pain, itching, and a lot of discomfort. It affects about 125 million people worldwide, including 8 million in the United States. When Lauper first noticed symptoms like pain and scalp irritations, she thought it might be from her frequent hair dyeing. But over time, the symptoms got worse, leading to physical and mental distress.
Still, Lauper keeps pushing forward. She’s not just the voice behind “Time After Time”; she’s also a passionate activist, a touring music sensation, and a busy mom. Inspired by her sister Ellen, who is a lesbian, Lauper has dedicated much of her life to advocating for the LGBT community.
In 2005, she wrote the song “Above the Clouds” in memory of Matthew Shepard, a gay student who was tragically beaten to death in Wyoming. She also launched the “True Colors” tour in 2007–2008 to raise funds for LGBT charities.
Lauper’s career has been nothing short of legendary. Over four decades, she’s racked up a Tony Award, two Grammys, an MTV Music Video Award, and an Emmy for her guest role in the 1995 TV show “Mad About You.” In 2013, she was honored as a special guest at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration for her humanitarian efforts. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Even with her psoriasis, Lauper remains unstoppable. She’s learning to manage her stress—one of the main triggers for her flare-ups—to keep the condition from taking over her life. While she was battling severe psoriasis, she wrote the music and lyrics for the hit Broadway musical “Kinky Boots,” which won her a Tony Award for Best Original Score.
She made history as the first woman to win in that category, and the musical itself took home five more Tony Awards, including Best New Musical.
Lauper is open about her struggles, sharing her story to help others who might be going through the same thing. In an interview with the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), she said, “I’ve never been very good at handling stress.” She’s turned to holistic methods to heal and reduce stress, both at home and on the road. She practices reiki, a Japanese technique for relaxation and stress relief, and says, “That helps me.”
Besides reiki, Lauper stays grounded through yoga, meditation, and taking walks with her dog or her husband, David Thornton, whom she married in 1991. The couple has one son, born in 1997. Lauper encourages everyone to take care of themselves, saying, “Taking care of oneself is not a bad thing,” and urging people to “make a little time for you every day.”
She adds, “How about five minutes for you?”
Even when things get tough, Lauper keeps going. “It’s really hard to get up again when psoriasis gets really bad,” she admits. Sometimes she’d get chills because her body couldn’t regulate its temperature, which can even lead to hypothermia. The pain was relentless, even when she rested, and it didn’t help when others downplayed her condition as “just a rash.”
“You don’t have to go through pain,” Lauper says. Psoriasis can be managed with topical, oral, or injectable treatments to reduce its intense effects. Lauper found great relief with Novartis’ Cosentyx, saying she’s been “four years clear” since using it.
In 2017, Lauper opened up about her journey with psoriasis in an interview with HealthDay. “It’s strange how you start wearing gloves or other items in the hopes that your psoriasis won’t show, but it doesn’t,” she said. “Everyone hides it, don’t they?
The number of people who have it but keep it a secret could surprise you. It’s a topic worth discussing because it’s one of those things that is somewhat invisible.”
She’s also raising awareness through her podcast, “PsO in the Know,” where she talks with psoriasis sufferers, advocates, and celebrities who share their own stories about living with the disease. Now in its third season, you can find her podcast on Stitcher, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.
Lauper isn’t alone in her fight. Many celebrities also deal with psoriasis, like Kim Kardashian, who was diagnosed at 30 and has been open about her struggles. Her mom, Kris Jenner, had her first breakout in her late 20s and called it “life-changing.” Other famous faces with psoriasis include musician Art Garfunkel, actor Jon Lovitz, and Jerry Mathers, who played “The Beaver.”
We are truly fortunate to have role models like Cyndi Lauper, who use their platforms to help others overcome challenges. Her journey and contributions make the world a brighter place. What a brave and inspiring woman she is!
