Today’s episode is about a condition that has stayed in the shadows, and a filmmaker looking to bring it into the light. 

Hidradenitis Suppurtiva Foundation - or HS for short - is one of the most severe conditions in dermatology, according to the HS Foundation. 

HS is also known in the European areas as Acne Inversa (AI), and is a chronic, non-contagious, painful and quality of life-impacting skin disease that causes boils to form in the folds of the skin, and can cause tunneling wounds.

Because of its physical scarring, it’s often not talked about and hidden. However, HS is not rare. Somewhere between 1% and 4% of the population have it, with it impacting more African American women than other subgroups. 

Many doctors don’t know how to deal with it or misdiagnose it.

Joining us in the studio is Jasmine Ivanna Espy, a filmmaker from Detroit who has directed a new piece involving her story and others, “My Gold Lining, A Documentary on Hidradenitis Suppurativa.”

Although the event has solid out, it is being shown this Friday at the Next Wave Media Film Lab in Troy. Go here to RSVP and find out more information.