Nichi Morrin

My body has enough bloody admin already.

Hypermobility. Autoimmune stuff. Pain. Sensory overload. A nervous system that occasionally decides WE’RE FULL before I’ve even finished the day.

So no, I don’t need my self-care becoming another job.

10 steps? No thanks.
A complicated ritual? Also no.
Another thing I’m supposed to be good at? Absolutely not.

Give me care that feels good, does its job and asks less of me. Because when your body is already carrying a lot, care shouldn’t add to the load.

That’s a big part of the thinking behind Nichi James. Less performative self-care.
More “I’ve had enough for today” care.

Care without the crap.

For years, people with hEDS have been told it’s a connective tissue disorder and a collagen and joint problem.

Or, far too often… that we’re simply “just bendy.”

But this new research is asking us to look much wider. Researchers analysed proteins in the blood of people with hEDS and found 35 proteins that were significantly different from controls. And here’s the part that caught my attention:

80% were linked to immune response, inflammation, coagulation or blood-pressure regulation.

Meanwhile, they found no significant differences in collagen or fibronectin levels or fragments between the groups.

That does NOT mean researchers have proven hEDS is an immune disease. They haven’t.

But it does raise a really important question:
What if the immune dysfunction, mast cell symptoms, skin problems, gut issues, dysautonomia, chronic pain and difficulty recovering from illness that so many people with hEDS experience aren’t simply unrelated conditions sitting alongside it?

What if some of these systems are connected?

The researchers propose that in genetically or epigenetically susceptible people, things like viral or environmental triggers may potentially push immune regulation past a threshold — contributing to inflammation and connective tissue dysfunction.

There is still a LOT we don’t know. This is one study. But I think it reinforces something patients have been saying for a very long time:

hEDS affects far more than joints.

And maybe science is finally starting to understand why.

If you live with hEDS/HSD, does this bigger picture sound familiar?

Save this one. And send it to someone who still thinks EDS is just about being flexible.

Study: Griggs et al., ImmunoHorizons, 2025.

You see 5 minutes. They live it 24/7.

Following concerns raised by the EDS and HSD community about a recent opinion article in The Times, I think this conversation matters.

Because people with EDS, HSD, POTS, dysautonomia and other complex chronic illnesses are already judged enough.

“You don’t look sick.”

“You were walking yesterday.”

“You’re too young to need that.”

“But I saw you stand up from your wheelchair.”

What someone can do for five minutes tells you very little about what it costs them, what happens afterwards, or what their body manages behind closed doors.

Health fluctuates. Disability fluctuates. And mobility aids can be the very thing that gives someone more life, not less.

We shouldn’t have to perform illness convincingly enough to be believed.

Let’s stop judging a 24/7 reality by the 5 minutes we see.

You don’t have to understand someone’s health to respect it.

And if you’ve ever felt judged because you “look fine” — you’re definitely not alone in this conversation.

Share this. Because words matter, and so does changing the conversation.

Your skin isn’t operating in its own little world.

It’s constantly communicating with your nervous system, immune system, hormones and the environment around you.

Which is why periods of stress, illness, hormonal change or nervous system overload can sometimes show up as skin that feels more reactive, itchy, flushed, inflamed or just… harder to settle.

This is where psychodermatology becomes really interesting — looking beyond what is happening on the surface and understanding the relationship between the skin, brain and body.

It’s also a big part of why we’re building Nichi James differently. Not just skincare for what skin looks like. Skin and body care that considers what your body is living through.

Not only have we been busy over the last 12 months researching and developing our neurosensory skin and body care brand Nichi James Nichi James but we have also been building Too Busy Livin too.busy.livin

We have been through a lot over the years and our brands are a reflection of that. Too Busy Too Busy Livin is a space for motivation, positive wellbeing, and reminders that life is short, get out and be busy livin life when you can. Life can knock you for a six and it can be hard to see the joy some times, but there is life out there to live and connections to make. It is about all the little things, not just the big. It’s about not counting days, but making days count. So, please follow and engage if you’d like :)

Some days are tough, some days energy is great! Others require rest and reset…. And that is productive and a-ok 🫶

POTS is not anxiety, stress or a nervous system that simply needs to calm down.

It is a physiological condition that needs appropriate medical support.

Nervous system regulation will not cure it—but it may help reduce the extra load from sensory overwhelm, muscle tension, adrenaline-like surges, fear, stress, coping, over-activation, and constant symptom monitoring.

It is complementary and sits alongside treatment, not instead of it.

Sometimes we cannot remove everything the body is carrying, but we may be able to make that load feel a little lighter.

You can be chilling, resting, taking down time but still be internally wired and in overdrive. Send this to someone who seems to be in constant overdrive.