Doctors have warned Justin Bieber's rare illness could take months to heal.
The 28-year-old revealed last week that he has been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS), a rare illness that causes facial paralysis and hearing loss.
The diagnosis has forced him to cancel a series of live performances and now his future tour dates are in danger of being shelved.
University of Washington facial paralysis expert Dr Nina Lu admitted that the 'Love Yourself' singer may never actually get full function back in his face.
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"Some patients get back full movement, but some get little, and others get [uncontrolled movement]," she told the Daily Mail.
"Recovery times for this illness can vary."
According to Dr Lu, returning to normal is seen in about '70 per cent' of patients.
Dr Josh Rosenberg, a facial plastic surgeon at New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital, said that fans should give the pop star 'a couple of months' to recover.
"But people can really surprise you," he told the Daily Mail. "He is young, diagnosed early, and treated quickly - which is a good sign."
The rare illness can also impact the vocal cords, which of course would have a significant impact on the singer.
Only five in 100,000 people develop RHS in the US every year, according to the National Organisation for Rare Diseases.
Bieber cancelled a string of shows for the final leg of his US tour before he heads to Europe for more shows.
The 'Baby' singer took to social media to reveal why he had cancelled his final American dates.
"I wanted to update you guys on what’s been going on," he said.
"Obviously, as you can probably see from my face, I have this syndrome called Ramsay Hunt syndrome and it is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis.
"So for those who are frustrated by my cancellations of [my] next shows, I’m just physically obviously not capable of doing them.
"This is pretty serious as you can see. I wish this wasn’t the case, but obviously my body’s telling me I gotta slow down."
He added that his doctors don't know how much time recovery will take, which could have a disastrous impact on his world tour, which began in February.
The tour was supposed to take place in 2021 but was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite the second round of tour date cancellations, Bieber told fans that he has 'hope' and trusts that 'this is all for a reason'.
Topics: Justin Bieber, Celebrity
Rachel Lang