Halsey has shared heartbreaking details of the struggles they endured while battling lupus.
The 29-year-old American singer revealed in June 2023 that she had been diagnosed with erythematosus (SLE) and T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder the year before.
Now the star has shared candid details about the toll the illness and intensive treatement took on their self-image and mental health.
"I just felt really f**king ugly the whole time I was sick. I could not look at myself. I didn't look in a mirror, unless I was putting a contact lens in my eye, for months," Halsey confessed in a profile published by Paper magazine.
They added, "I was just unrecognisable. I didn't like looking at myself. It was horrific, and it would spin me out."
Amid the medical battles, the star - who revealed in 2021 that they use she/her and they/them pronouns - found comfort through a surprising hobby: miniature doll housing.
"It was something I could do inside, and it was something I could do that was creative," they explained, noting how this activity provided a peaceful escape from their harsh reality.
It also offered a quiet, creative outlet the Stay with Me singer could enjoy while caring for 3-year-old son, Ender, whom they share with screenwriter ex, Alev Aydin.
Explaining a deeper appeal to miniature doll housing, Halsey added that they appreciated it was a hobby, "no one was going to try and monetise ... or exploit."
