WATCH as a woman with a massive keloid protruding from her neck finally gets the skin growth removed.
Olivia, a 28-year-old nurse, grappled with the growing keloid over the course of four years.
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Starting out as a spot, it gradually swelled to the size of a satsuma and left Olivia feeling increasingly self conscious.
“It can be exhausting, trying to constantly be brave, and trying to hide it,” she said.
“It’s my face, this is what everyone sees!
“Often at the end of the day, the tears may come, it makes you sad.”
Not only that, the nurse was constantly catching her seat belt or face mask on the growth, which at times became unbearably itchy.
After years of emotional and physical discomfort, Olivia decided to visit consultant dermatologist Dr Emma Craythorne about finally having the keloid removed.
The nurse’s story features in a brand new episode of The Bad Skin Clinic, as the first instalment of the seventh series airs tonight.
The new series will see Dr Craythorne help patients with a number of growths and skin ailments.
“When a skin disease affects the face it can be devastating,” the dermatologist said.
“Not just physically, but also emotionally and socially.”
Though Olivia was desperate to have her keloid removed to improve her self-confidence, the specialist nurse also visited Dr Craythorne for practical reasons.
The growth had gotten so large it has started to impact her work supporting patients with learning disabilities, as well as her everyday activities.
The nurse said: “My keloid… it really does get in the way. I often get my seatbelt rubbing on it.
“If I’m trying to wear masks or PPE at work, I’m quite uncomfortable with it.”
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Olivia’s keloid also got unbearably itchy at times, leaving her in a frenzy of scratching.
“I’m always rubbing it,” she said.
“It’s like an itch and I can’t stop doing it.”
In an initial consultation at the clinic, Dr Craythorne confirmed that Olivia’s growth was indeed a keloid.
To Olivia’s surprise, Dr Craythorne pointed out that the growth could have been triggered by something as inconspicuous as a small acne spot on her neck.
“Essentially the cells that we have responsible for making a scar are called ‘fibroblasts’,” she explained.
“If you cut yourself, or you have an injury, they start repairing that wound, and then once the injury is healed over, it stops repairing.
“But in somebody who has a tendency to keloids, those fibroblasts don’t stop making scar tissue. So in your case this a genetically-inherited tendency.
“I suspect you might have even had a spot, like an acne spot or something like that. Something really little, and that’s been enough to provoke this response.”
Olivia got yet another surprise when the dermatologist said she could perform surgery that very same day.
“I know you don’t want it there, but it’s grown in such a beautiful way and does not seem to be going deep into the skin nearby,” Dr Craythorne told the nurse.
“This is a really nice keloid that should get a good outcome from surgery.”
Not expecting to go into surgery that day, Olivia was happy at the idea having the keloid removed but anxious at the same time.
“I’m sh****** myself,” she told the dermatologist as she arrived at the theatre, prepped and ready for her op.
QUICK WORK
After injecting the keloid to numb it, Dr Craythorne started making slow and precise incisions to the keloid – which she told Olivia was “fairly superficial” – with her scalpel.
“This is where my yoga and Pilates comes into play,” she joked as she manoeuvred herself around Olivia to get to the keloid from different angles.
“We’re not having to really dig deep down into the skin to find all the roots of it.”
Dr Craythorne sliced the little “spud” all the way off and stitched up Olivia’s neck.
What are keloid scars?
A keloid scar is a raised scar left on the skin after a wound has healed.
They usually appear a few weeks to years after damaging or injuring your skin, such as after a cut, burn or acne.
Keloid scars are usually raised, hard, smooth and shiny.
They can be skin colour, pink, red, purple, brown, or darker than the skin around them.
You’re most likely to get them on your chest, shoulders, chin, neck, ears and lower legs.
A keloid scar can grow for months or years and become bigger than the original wound.
While it’s growing, it may feel itchy or painful. This usually stops once it’s finished growing.
Speak to a GP if you think you have a keloid scar and it’s bothering you.
They may be able to improve how it looks and getting treatment early can stop the scar from growing.
Source: NHS
“Welcome to your new face,” she told a beaming Olivia, handing her a mirror.
Following the op, Dr Craythorne reflected: “When somebody has something that’s different about their face, it has an effect on them.
“Our face is so important to us in terms of communication, in terms of breathing, in terms of speaking, in terms of touch, all of these things.
“But also crucially, it’s a point of contact that people look at, so it’s not the same as having a lump growing somewhere else.
“When it’s right in the middle of your face, it has an impact in all of those ways.”
CONFIDENCE BOOST
Olivia was back at the London clinic two weeks post-op for a check-in.
“I’m just looking forward to showing Dr Emma how my face is getting on,” the nurse said.
“Colleagues have mentioned how great things are looking, I even had someone at the chip shop say ‘ooh your thing’s gone!’.
“Honestly, I feel like people are actually looking at me and talking to me as opposed to looking down at my neck.
“My lanyard, it’s not getting stuck, it’s just sliding on…seatbelts… even like a bag, I can wear it on this side.
“Before I could never wear a bag this way. All these kinds of things, I’m so so happy.”
Olivia’s surgery also boosted her self-confidence.
“I feel so pretty,” she said.
“Having it gone is literally life-changing for me. I’m so much more confident, I’m not conscious when I’m taking pictures or even when I’m walking around.
“I’m not really trying to cover my face anymore.
“My life now is amazing. I’m feeling great, really confident, really happy. Just excited for the future!”
The Bad Skin Clinic airs on Really on Tuesdays at 9pm and is available to stream on discovery+.
