Odell Beckham Jr. Recalls Struggling with 'Uncomfortable’ Skin Disease: ‘I Really Wanted to Figure It Out’ (Exclusive)

In addition to his skills on the football field, Odell Beckham Jr. is known for his unique style and perfectly groomed beard.

Now, the NFL star is opening up for the first time to PEOPLE about being diagnosed with a chronic skin disease that left his signature beard flaky and uncomfortable as he struggled to find a solution.

The 32-year-old recalls first experiencing it in 2018.

“I started to notice things with my skin, really my beard and the lining of my hair,” he tells PEOPLE, noting a lot of flaking in his beard and a “deep, burning itchy sensation” along his hairline.

Beckham initially believed that he was reacting to medications he was taking after undergoing surgery on his ankle in October 2017. He also wondered if the weather conditions might’ve caused his skin troubles after traveling back and forth between Arizona and Florida.

“I didn't really think anything of it at all, especially because all my life I was a person who didn't have any skincare routine,” he says. “But it was uncomfortable for a while so I tried to find solutions myself. I started putting vitamin E oil on it to help so at least it doesn't feel dry.”

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Beckham spent years trying to conceal the condition as best as he could but his skin troubles were never resolved. It wasn’t until about two years ago that he decided to seek professional help. As someone in the public eye, the Super Bowl champ knew he needed to take it seriously.

“Obviously, my appearance is what's going to bring in the money or make certain deals. So I wasn't ultra embarrassed by it, but I also know that being in a lot of pictures, it’s not something that I want to be seen,” he says. “I really had to figure it out and find a solution for it.”

“I was like, alright, it feels like this is from within. You know what I mean? There's got to be something more because it hasn't gotten any better. It doesn't get worse, but it just hasn't gotten better,” he explains.

After meeting with several experts, the former Miami Dolphins wide receiver connected with Dr. Karan Lal — a double board-certified dermatologist in Scottsdale, Arizona — who diagnosed him with seborrheic dermatitis.

“It’s a chronic inflammatory skin disease, often in hair-bearing areas of the body,” Lal tells PEOPLE. “It can present with red or pink patches and they're often covered with scales. Sometimes these scales can be yellow or greasy and sometimes they can just be dry. Dandruff is a common symptom of seborrheic dermatitis and is often associated with persistent itch.”

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The condition is common in athletes and often goes undiagnosed among African Americans as it’s difficult to spot symptoms in patients of color, Lal says. Additionally, he says, "A lot of people don't seek out care for it because they don't know that it's something that there is treatment for,” he notes.

“I've seen that flakiness in other people and never understood what it is," Beckham says of his diagnosis. "But there's millions of us that have it and we probably would never know because you don't usually seek medical advice on that level.”

Beckham admits that he felt a sense of relief getting a diagnosis and knowing that there are treatments available to help him navigate a chronic disease.

“I wasn't too concerned, but also it was still serious to me, especially as someone who went to college for anatomy and kinesiology. The body was always going to be my tool and my way of providing for my family,” he shares. “So I'm always looking to improve my health because at the end of the day, I have a son. I want to live for a long time and be able to be there and experience his life.”

Lal ultimately prescribed Beckham with Zoryve, an FDA-approved steroid-free topical foam to treat seborrheic dermatitis, which the celebrity dermatologist says is the first of its kind in 20 years.

“It’s worked very well for him and a lot of my other patients,” Lal boasts.

Related: Odell Beckham Jr. Says Son Zydn Is His 'Biggest Motivation' as They Make Baltimore Their Home (Exclusive)

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Following his own success story, Beckham is now partnering with Arcutis Biotherapeutics and Zoryve to raise awareness of seborrheic dermatitis and help others avoid living without treatment for years.

“I was like, man, finally I have something that works for me. I carry it around now, and it is truly amazing,” he says of the topical medication. “I am beyond pleased. Once I put it on, I can go and attack the day. It's not something I have to worry about popping up or even something I think about anymore.”

“Now being in this position partnering with Arcutis, I have an opportunity to inform people on the knowledge I've gained,” Beckham tells PEOPLE. “I feel like that was God's gift for me from a very young age. I just always wanted people to feel their absolute best. And anything that I know, I don't hoard the knowledge, you know what I mean? I always tell the next person.”

Read the original article on People