03/04/23: Bella Hadid shares health update while opening up about her Lyme disease in revealing video footage
In recent years Bella Hadid has been open about her battle with Lyme disease, the tick-borne bacterial condition she first contracted in 2012, aged 16.
And the supermodel has now taken to social media to reveal further insight into her health struggles. The update comes after a scare following emergency root canal surgery a year ago, which caused her to suffer a low-grade infection underneath the adjacent tooth, which she intends to have extracted this week.
After doctors prescribed her antibiotics and the pain relief medication Motrin 800 to treat the jaw infection in March, she revealed a selfie of her bare face 'breaking out randomly'.
Of the photo, the runway regular shared: 'I look sick as a dog compared to what I look like now.' She apologised for 'the way that I shot covers and campaigns' and, referring to the recent photo, admitted she looks and feels like that picture 'most days'.
In video clips she posted to TikTok on Sunday April 2, Hadid explained: 'Basically, the nerve pain from my jaw ended up going down my entire meridian of my body, and to the touch, everywhere all the way down my body through all my lymph nodes. This pain, man. Something real different. Real different.'
Hadid explained: ‘Most of my pictures /selfies look like this on a normal basis when I’m flaring up. (When I’m working a lot, FW, stressed etc, (aka always) my skin changes colour, I break out randomly, I get (what feels like) lesions, lethargy, chronic anxiety, zero motivation or purpose, leaky gut, adrenals, depressed [sic].'
She continued: ‘You can only wonder why my face changes the way it doesn't and this is why. End of story.
'That's why I hate looking in the mirror or taking pictures especially lately, truly wanting to throw up at the sight of myself constantly. Years and years of this. If I'm all dolled up maybe I'll try for the girls, but man is it hard to do this as your profession while also feeling/looking sick like this.
'And if you look back at work pictures from the past eight years you can tell the difference between me when my Lyme flares up and me when I'm healthy. She's a different girl. I feel so bad for her my little body.'
Hadid added: ‘I would never be able to make one of these videos if I was at work having a flare up, or not feeling safe/calm in my environment as I am with my mom and horses the past four weeks. I tried my best so I could try to update you guys before the extraction.'
She concluded: 'Thank you for watching this and knowing a little more about me that is a huge part of my everyday life. It means more to me than you even know and I feel closer to you guys now. Love you all a lot a lot a lot. My angels.'
26/08/20: Bella Hadid Gives Rare Insight Into Her 'Aggressive' Lyme Disease Symptoms
Despite having what seems like boundless energy for photoshoots, crafting activities, and (pre-Covid) fashion shows, Bella Hadid still deals daily with symptoms of Lyme Disease.
Diagnosed ages 16, the supermodel rarely discusses the bacterial infection from which she suffers, however, this week took to Instagram provide some insight into her symptoms.
In a series of four stories, some shared from Palestinian chef and fellow Lyme Disease sufferer Joudie Kalla's account, Hadid named the illness, 'the invisible disease', going on to share a list of symptoms, some of which she is affected by: 'everyday I feel at least 10 of these attributes without fail... since I was probably 14, but more aggressively when I turned 18'.
The former equestrian illustrated the list of symptoms, pointing to those she felt 'everyday', including: 'difficulty walking', 'joint pain', and 'nausea'.
Kudos to Hadid for speaking openly about her struggles.
21/11/17: Bella Hadid Reveals She Finally Feels 'Stronger', Years After Lyme Disease Diagnosis
In 2012, model Bella Hadid was diagnosed with the bacterial infection Lyme disease, cutting short her burgeoning equestrian career.
In the years since, the disease has seen the Californian beauty bed-ridden, hospitalised and regularly requiring IV drips - a phenomenon she shares on social media platforms for her fans.
However, despite her illness, the face of Dior Beauty has persevered to launch an internationally successful modelling career, and recently walked in the 2017 Victoria's Secret fashion show in Shanghai - an experience she just described as a 'dream come true'.
Earlier this morning, the New York-based beauty opened up about her health issues and revealed she feels so much stronger than in previous years.
'What a dream come true...This year felt like my first year all over again,' she wrote in a post on Instagram.
'Emotionally, physically, mentally, in my health I feel so much stronger in so many ways and I am so grateful to all who have supported me, believed in me and stood by me.'
Hadid's comments come months after she opened up to The Telegraph about the difficulty in coming to terms with her tick-borne disease.
'It was really emotional for me. I thought I was going to ride horses for the rest of my life. But everything happens for a reason, that's my motto now, and I'm so happy to be where I am,' she said.
'Hopefully in a couple of years I can start riding again and buy a big barn upstate and me and my mum [who also has Lyme disease] can go riding whenever we want.'
The brunette has regularly spoken out about her illness to help raise awareness of the condition suffered by thousands of people across the world, including her mother, former model Yolanda Hadid, and younger brother, Anwar.
Last year, the model was honoured at the Global Lyme Alliance's second annual 'Uniting for a Lyme-Free World' gala and told guests:
'I know what it feels like to not want to get out of bed from bone pains and exhaustion and days on end of not wanting to socialise or be around people because the anxiety and brain fog just isn't worth it.
'After years of this, you begin to get used to living with the sickness, instead of getting cured and moving on with your life,' she added.
Despite her illness, Bella - much like older sister Gigi - has become one of the most in demand models of her generation, walking the runway for the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, Versace, Dior and Chanel.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
