PIMPLES POPPED
A MAN who a has spent years battling with embarrassing acne scars on his back has finally had them "cured" by the UK's answer to Dr Pimple Popper.
Mitchell, 26, went to see consultant dermatologist Dr Emma Craythorne at her clinic in London to find out if she could help.
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He has suffered with a spattering of severe, painful acne lumps across his back and shoulders for the last six years and says it's stopped him from living a normal life.
In the latest episode of the Bad Skin Clinic, which airs tonight on Quest Red, Mitchell, says: “I’ve had the condition roughly for five to six years.
“I’ve tried everything I can, it’s just got the point where I want them gone now.”
The red, raised lumps are extremely render and Mitchell admits he's struggled to cope with the pain and sight of them.
“The amount of bumps on my shoulders, I’d say there are about 20-25,” he said.
“They’re very big, very grotesque, very red and swollen. They’re very painful to touch and very itchy.
"They often cause quite a lot of bleeding and scabbing which isn’t very nice. I’m definitely worried about them getting bigger and spreading.”
It looked really horrible. It really does look like something out of a horror film
Donna
Mitchell's mum Donna said she was shocked when she first saw the lumps on his back.
She said: “When Mitchell was 16, he started getting these nasty lumps on his back. We eventually went to the GP and they said it was acne.
“Then when he got to about 19, he was complaining that his back and the tops of his shoulders were really aching and hurting.
"He showed it to me and, I’ll be honest, I did have a few tears. It looked really horrible. It really does look like something out of a horror film.”
Embarrassing
Mitchell feels constantly embarrassed about the lumps and they stopped him doing the things he enjoys, such as swimming.
He said: “There was a time when I was at the swimming pool and a lifeguard came up to me.
“He kept asking me the same questions about my condition, whether it’s contagious or if can be spread to other people.
"It got so bad to the point where I was nearly in tears. There’s times where I’ve wanted to take a knife and cut it off myself.”
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Inspecting Mitchell’s back, Dr Emma examines the raised areas carefully.
Making her diagnoses, she reveals that the lumps are indeed severe scarring caused by acne.
She says: “This is a pattern of acne scarring. You’ve got these acne scars that are raised, coming up off the surface of the skin, they’re firm, and they’re this reddy, almost pink colour.
"You do see this hypertrophic scarring as a consequence of acne.”
Dr Emma also tries to give a bit of context around Mitchell’s condition.
She says: “Things like movement will have an effect on the scars.
"In your case, this has over-stimulated the healing process and you’ve ended up with these scars.”
How is laser treatment used to treat acne scarring?
Acne scarring can sometimes develop as a complication of acne.
Any type of acne spot can lead to scarring, but it's more common when the most serious types of spots (nodules and cysts) burst and damage nearby skin.
Scarring can also occur if you pick or squeeze your spots, so it's important not to do this.
There are 3 main types of acne scars:
- ice pick scars – small, deep holes in the surface of your skin that look like the skin has been punctured with a sharp object
- rolling scars – caused by bands of scar tissue that form under the skin, giving the surface of the skin a rolling and uneven appearance
- boxcar scars – round or oval depressions, or craters, in the skin
Treatments for acne scarring are regarded as a type of cosmetic surgery, which is not usually available on the NHS.
However, in the past, exceptions have been made when it's been shown that acne scarring has caused serious psychological distress.
Many private clinics offer treatment for acne scarring.
Prices can vary widely (from £500 to more than £10,000) depending on the type of treatment needed.
Laser treatment can be used to treat mild to moderate acne scarring. There are 2 types of laser treatment:
- ablative laser treatment – where lasers are used to remove a small patch of skin around the scar to produce a new, smooth-looking area of skin
- non-ablative laser treatment – where lasers are used to stimulate the growth of new collagen (a type of protein found in skin), which helps to repair some of the damage caused by scarring, and improves the appearance
Source: NHS
Despite admitting that Mitchell’s condition is difficult to treat, Dr Emma offers a plan.
Using a combination of lasers and a steroid to soften and reduce the areas – starting there and then.
A self-confessed "nerd" about science, Mitchell is raring to go, saying: “I’m very looking forward to being lasered."
After covering the affected area on Mitchell’s shoulders with cream, Dr Emma gets to work on lasering his lumps.
So this is just drilling little tiny holes into the scar tissue, shrinking it down and giving the normal collagen a chance to grow
Dr Emma Craythorne
She explains: “So this is just drilling little tiny holes into the scar tissue, shrinking it down and giving the normal collagen a chance to grow."
It’s a complicated procedure, and Dr Emma is forced to squeeze blood out of some of the holes in Mitchell’s skin.
After the lasering, she then injects the lumps with steroids.
Dr Emma tells him: “Now Mitchell, I’m going to do something that you’re not going to like.
"I’m going to inject a couple of the bigger ones."
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MORE ON ACNE
Seven weeks later, Mitchell returns to The Bad Skin Clinic for a follow up session with Dr Emma.
After going through a couple of treatment sessions, the bumps are a lot less severe and Mitchell is thrilled with the results.
He says: “It’s not feeling as lumpy and bumpy as usual. To see it in just a few short months to go from what it was to this is very confidence boosting.”
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