Kate McKinnon Reveals She Was Diagnosed With Bizarre 'Geographic Tongue' Condition

You never know what could come up in an interview, especially with someone like former SNL cast member Kate McKinnon.

During an interview with People, she was asked about a screenshot she'd sent to a famous friend—of her mouth.

McKinnon was immediately candid about the photograph, explaining that the two celebrities were able to bond further over a shared condition called "geographic tongue," which is benign, non-contagious, and harmless, outside of an occasional sensitivity to salty, spicy, or sweet food.

McKinnon reflected:

"I took a photo of my tongue and sent it to an actor friend of mine."

"We both have the same medical condition called 'geographic tongue.' Your tongue sheds in patches and looks like an atlas, hence the name 'geographic tongue.'"

McKinnon made light of the experience.

"It's gross, but we brag about how geographic we are on any given day."

"Maybe I shouldn't be saying this in a magazine."

McKinnon's diagnosis and reflection on it made it over to the "LiveFromNewYork" subReddit, where people appreciated the candor and identified with McKinnon's experience.

"I have this, and it has no effect on my life except burning after eating too much acidic food, and having it pointed out by the dental hygienist (who brings others over to see) every time I get my teeth cleaned." - flipflopsnpolos

"I also have this and didn’t have a doctor tell me about it until I was 25. It doesn’t impact me." - Vives_solo_una_vez

"I also have this. When I was in elementary school, one of my classmates’ moms was a dentist and told me I have it. I truly forget about it most of the time. It doesn’t affect me in any way." - Puzzleheaded_Sky6656

"It's always awkward when you're at the doctor and they call someone over like, 'Hey, check THIS out!' or they want to use you as kind of a training aid, 'Bob is new and I just want him to see what this looks like in real life not just a textbook,' when you have something rare." - Popular_Try_5075

"No diagnosis, but I've had something like this appear on my tongue a couple of times. I also have ulcerative colitis and assume it might have been related. No symptoms beyond appearance for me." - yungrii

The news similarly spread to Facebook, where people either knew that they had it or realized there was a name for their condition.

Entertainment Weekly/Facebook

Entertainment Weekly/Facebook

Entertainment Weekly/Facebook

Entertainment Weekly/Facebook

Entertainment Weekly/Facebook

Entertainment Weekly/Facebook

Entertainment Weekly/Facebook

Entertainment Weekly/Facebook

Entertainment Weekly/Facebook

From the comments section on various social channels, it seems the condition may not be as rare as it once was. Fortunately, it is not contagious and does not impact a person's quality of life beyond the appearance, and possibly flaring up after eating certain foods.

It seems likely that McKinnon has figured out the best way to deal with it is to find a way to joke about it without being embarrassed or trying to hide it.