Sarah Hyland shares hospital selfie of her 'painful' swollen face

Platforms such as Instagram are engineered to promote the desired aesthetic of the person in question, or to showcase the highlight reel of their otherwise average lives. But while we all know that this kind of activity locks us into an endless loop of comparison, the majority of us can't help but buy into it, and so we continue posting flatlays and tagging our snaps with a bunch of inspirational hashtags.

Recently, however, there has been a move towards greater transparency on such platforms, and certain celebrities are really leading the way. Whether Demi Lovato is speaking candidly about her mental health struggles, or Christina Aguilera is going makeup-free, it's evident that those with influence should be using their social media accounts to spread positive messages, not perpetuate saccharine realities.

Case in point: Modern Family actress, Sarah Hyland, took to Instagram on Thursday to share an image of herself when she wasn't looking so red carpet ready. The 27-year-old - who was born with kidney dysplasia - posted an image of her swollen face, and revealed that she had been in hospital since Monday last week.

"Sometimes a selfie is more than just a good angle or feelin cute. This time for #NationalSelfieDay, I’ve decided to share my truth. As painful as it is," Hyland captioned the image of her swollen face, which was posted to her Instagram stories. "So here is my face that was torn from work against my will. But I’m very grateful it was. Health should always come first," she added, with the hashtag #stayhealthymyfriends.

While the actress didn't specify why she was hospitalised, she has been increasingly outspoken about the realities of living with kidney dysplasia - a condition in which one or both kidneys don't develop normally. Hyland, who was born with the condition, underwent a kidney transplant back in 2012.

Credit: Instagram/Sarah Hyland

The Modern Family star posted a video to Instagram later in the day, showing her dog licking her neck. "She knows I’m not feeling well," she said in the post. In the caption, she detailed that the clip was shot the day before she was admitted to hospital, adding "Can't wait to come back to my precious angel princess. She's perfect and knows exactly what I need at all times. She was literally telling me to get treatment."

Credit: Instagram/Sarah Hyland

Last year, Hyland took to Twitter to reveal that she had been struggling with her health. "I haven't had the greatest year," she began, before stating that she wasn't yet ready to share details. "Maybe one day I'll talk about it, but for now, I'd like my privacy. I will say that this year has brought a lot of change and with that, physical changes."

"I don't mind when you say that I look pregnant. Or fat. Because I know that my face is swollen from medication that is saving my life," she asserted, in reference to being on prednisone, a corticosteroid which is used to reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system.

Well, we wish Sarah Hyland a fast recovery. And good on her for being so candid about the realities of living with chronic pain.