Your Tongue Sheds In Patches And Looks Like An Atlas: Kate McKinnon Opens Up About Her ‘GROSS’ Medical Condition

Saturday Night Live veteran Kate McKinnon recently opened up about her experience with a medical condition called geographic tongue, bluntly calling it “gross.”

During a feature for People magazine’s One Last Thing segment, the 41-year-old comedian shared a bit of her personal life that’s both surprising and oddly relatable.

Kate McKinnon Opens Up About ‘Gross’ Geographic Tongue Condition

Apparently, when asked about the last photo she snapped on her phone, McKinnon admitted it was a shot of her own tongue, which she sent to a friend, another actor who happens to have the same condition. “We both have the same medical condition. It’s called geographic tongue. Your tongue sheds in patches and looks like an atlas, hence the name,” she told People. 

“It’s gross,” she added, laughing at the absurdity. “We brag about how geographic we are on any given day. Maybe I shouldn’t be saying this in a magazine.”

What is Geographic Tongue Condition? 

For those unfamiliar, geographic tongue is a harmless inflammatory condition where patches on the tongue lose their usual tiny bumps, known as papillae.

According to the National Institutes of Health, it mostly affects the surface of the tongue and makes it look patchy, almost as if someone drew a map on it. Mayo Clinic notes that, despite its strange appearance, the condition isn’t dangerous.

Aside from her unexpected medical reveal, McKinnon also spoke about her current interests and projects. She mentioned being obsessed with a lifestyle blog run by a family from Azerbaijan and shared that the last thing she took from a film set was a chess piece from the Barbie movie though she insists it was given to her. 

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