With photos highlighting her disproportionate left leg, Mahogany Geter, suffering from lymphedema, wants to break the taboo around this frequent but little-known disease.
- American model Mahogany Geter has suffered from lymphedema since birth.
- This disease causes the appearance of fluid in his left leg, which weighs more than 40 kg, due to a malfunction of the lymphatic system.
- It can appear spontaneously without cause, but can also occur after surgery, an accident, a virulent infection or removal of the lymph nodes.
Winnie Harlow, Coco Labbée, Sofia Jirau, Jeyza Gary… In recent years, more and more women with diseases such as vitiligo, alopecia, trisomy 21 or lamellar ichthyosis are pursuing modeling careers. On social networks, they illustrate their pathologies with photos to raise awareness among Internet users and encourage them to accept and love themselves as they are. This is recently the case of the American model Mahogany Geter. “I was born with a condition called lymphedema,” she wrote in the captiona cliche posted on his Instagram account in 2019.
Lymphedema is linked to a malfunction of the lymphatic system.
According to the Vaud University Hospital Center (CHUV), lymphedema is a swelling, which occurs frequently in women and most often in the lower limbs. It forms when the lymphatic vessels can no longer drain the lymph, which then accumulates in the tissues located under the skin. “We often see a leg where lymphedema predominates”noted the American Hospital of Paris. This disorder can be primitive, or appear spontaneously without cause. But, it can also occur due to a malformation of the lymphatic vessels, their obstruction or their deterioration after surgery, an accident, a virulent infection or removal of the lymph nodes (nodules located along the lymphatic system).
Lymphedema: “we don’t want to be stared at by everyone”
In the photos published on his social networks, Mahogany Geter highlights his left leg, which is swollen and weighs more than 40 kg. “It’s hard to live with this disease, because you just want to feel normal and not be stared at by everyone in public. When I was younger, I felt like God had cursed me, i never felt pretty or cute, every time i walked past a mirror and saw my legs i was drowning in sadness, i was crying in my room.As i got older i learned to accept myself better. (…) I wanted to promote the fact that it is beautiful to be different (…) This is for all those who struggle with disabilities or lack of self-confidence”, explained the model.
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How to treat lymphedema?
The CHUV reports that to date there is no treatment to cure lymphoedema. However, it is possible to reduce the edema and slow down its development. For this, it is advisable to resort to lymphatic drainage, which helps the lymph to go up towards the heart and thus to reduce the swelling. “During the initial phase of treatment, multi-layer compression bandages are applied in addition to manual lymphatic drainage.” Then, an elastic compression is applied which prevents the lymph from accumulating again.
