What is the most painful skin condition in the world?

Author: Mr. Mckenzie Yundt  |  Last update: Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic skin disease. Another name for it is acne inversa. It causes painful, boil-like lumps that form under the skin. It often affects areas where the skin rubs together, such as your armpits and groin.

What are the most painful skin conditions?

Some skin diseases are conventionally known to cause pain; e.g. ulcers, pyoderma gangrenosum and herpes zoster. Common dermatoses, such as psoriasis or atopic dermatitis, can also cause significant pain.

What is the most painful condition in the world?

In fact, CRPS is known as the world's most painful incurable condition. In the United States, it is referred to as the “suicide disease” as it can lead sufferers to resort to suicide as the only means to escape the huge pain that they bear.

Why is HS so painful?

Nodules grow and start to join together

As HS progresses, you see more lumps that may look like acne or boils. These lumps can grow and join together. As the lumps grow together, they fill up with fluid and become painful. These painful lumps are called abscesses.

What is the most fatal skin disease?

Melanoma is the most invasive skin cancer with the highest risk of death.

Living With The World’s Most Painful Disease | Body Bizarre

Is psoriasis painful?

Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes a rash with itchy, scaly patches, most commonly on the knees, elbows, trunk and scalp. Psoriasis is a common, long-term (chronic) disease with no cure. It can be painful, interfere with sleep and make it hard to concentrate.

Why does HS lower life expectancy?

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a rare skin condition that impacts the mortality rate. According to research, the hidradenitis suppurativa death rate is attributed to cardiovascular diseases or secondary infections.

Do any celebrities have hidradenitis suppurativa?

Jackson is from the USA and has been living with HS since he was a teen. Jackson has become a hidradenitis suppurativa celebrity since his appearance on American Idol and continues to inspire us with his songs and music.

Is HS a disability?

Yes, you can receive disability benefits for hidradenitis suppurativa if you can't work because of symptoms and chronic flare-ups. Even though the SSA considers hidradenitis suppurativa a qualifying condition, applying with more than one qualifying condition can make it easier for claimants to secure benefits.

What's the worst pain a human can feel?

A 2020 study identifies cluster headaches as the most painful condition, rating it at 9.7 out of 10, surpassing childbirth and kidney stones. Affecting just 0.1 percent of the global population, cluster headaches cause severe, stabbing pain that lasts for weeks or months, significantly impacting daily life.

What is the most painful disorder to live with?

The Most Painful Mental Illness
  • Depression.
  • Anxiety.
  • Bipolar Disorder.
  • Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

What is the most painful bone to break?

The femur is often put at the top of the most painful bones to break. Your femur is the longest and strongest bone in your body, running from your hip to your knee. Given its importance, it's not surprising that breaking this bone is an incredibly painful experience, especially with the constant weight being put on it.

What triggers hidradenitis suppurativa?

Hidradenitis suppurativa develops when hair follicles become blocked, but why this blockage occurs isn't known. Experts think it could be connected to hormones, genetic predisposition, cigarette smoking or excess weight.

What are the most painful conditions in the world?

20 most painful conditions
  • Cluster headaches. A cluster headache is a rare type of headache, known for its extreme intensity and a pattern of occurring in “clusters”. ...
  • Herpes zoster or shingles. ...
  • Frozen Shoulder. ...
  • Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) ...
  • Heart attack. ...
  • Sickle cell disease. ...
  • Arthritis. ...
  • Sciatica.

What is the rarest skin condition?

7 Rare Skin Diseases
  • Argyria.
  • Erythropoietic Protoporphyria.
  • Harlequin Ichthyosis.
  • Elastoderma.
  • Interstitial Granulomatous Dermatitis.
  • Pemphigus.
  • Acral Peeling Skin Syndrome.
  • Frequently Asked Questions.

Has anyone ever been cured of HS?

Does hidradenitis suppurativa go away? There's no cure for hidradenitis suppurativa. It's an ongoing skin condition with symptoms that may come and go for years. Treatments can manage symptoms and clear up boils.

What is the disability rating for hidradenitis suppurativa?

With hidradenitis suppurativa, a veteran may be eligible if they are awarded the 60 percent rating, even if it is technically rated as dermatitis or eczema, OR if their rating for hidradenitis suppurativa helps them reach a combined rating of 70 percent.

How rare is hidradenitis?

Hidradenitis suppurativa was once thought to be a rare condition because only the most severe cases were reported. However, recent studies have shown that the condition affects at least 1 in 100 people when milder cases are also considered. For reasons that are unclear, women are more commonly affected than men.

What is the leading cause of death in HS?

Over 30% of teenage and child deaths result from unintentional injury. However, this statistic may be further separated and refined into subcategories. Suicide and homicide are the second cause of death in teens. The number one killer of teenagers is car accidents and motor vehicle fatalities.

What clears up hidradenitis suppurativa?

Laser therapy.

A carbon dioxide laser can be used to make hidradenitis suppurativa sores go away. After this treatment, the sores are unlikely to return.

What does HS smell like?

What does the HS odor smell like? The odor associated with HS can vary from person to person. The extent of infection or severity of a flareup can also affect it. Often the odor is unpleasant.

What is vulgar psoriasis?

Psoriasis vulgaris is a chronic dermatosis of unknown etiology characterized by hyperproliferation and inflammation of the skin. The most common form of the disease is plaque psoriasis, in which skin develops scaly, raised red lesions.

What is the red scalp syndrome?

'Red scalp syndrome" is a condition which occurs in individuals who have persistent scalp redness that is not explainable by any other condition. The condition was first described by Drs Thestrup and Hjorth Patients with the Red Scalp Syndrome may have itching and burning but typically do not have scaling or flaking.

What organs does psoriasis affect?

You'll probably think of skin issues first, but your eyes, heart, lungs, gastrointestinal (GI) tract (stomach and intestines), liver and kidneys may also be affected. Skin. Psoriasis appears first in 60% to 80% of patients, usually followed within 10 years — but sometimes longer — by arthritis.

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