A man was left utterly speechless after undergoing a procedure to remove a series of large, abnormal growths from his head, in a powerful moment captured for television.
A Life Hidden Under Hats
Paul, a 38-year-old man suffering from alopecia, had spent nearly a decade concealing his scalp beneath a flat cap. His struggle began with total hair loss, but his confidence took a further devastating hit when painful cysts began to form and grow on his head.
He explained his ordeal on the programme, stating that while he had come to accept his baldness, the arrival of the prominent lumps was a "total game changer". The constant stares from strangers became a daily burden, forcing him to rely on hats to hide his condition.
The Diagnosis and Procedure
Seeking help at The Bad Skin Clinic in central London, Paul and his wife Sarah met with consultant dermatologist Dr Emma Craythorne. After a thorough scalp inspection, Dr Craythorne diagnosed him with benign pilar cysts.
In the clinic, Dr Craythorne made small incisions to extract the cysts. During the procedure, she was heard calmly talking through the process, at one point joking about naming the cysts. "Has this one got a name? We've called it ‘A’ - that's how boring we are. This one's Claudia, she's a little bit more delicate than Clive," she said.
A Transformational Result
After removing the cysts and stitching the skin, Paul was handed a mirror to see the results. His reaction was one of stunned gratitude. "Oh wow. That’s… wow. No words just thank you so much," he exclaimed. His wife Sarah was similarly lost for words, witnessing the dramatic change.
Dr Emma Craythorne reflected on the impact of the surgery, noting, "It's really nice to be able to restore that symmetry and I think give him back some more self-confidence." For Paul, the procedure marked the end of a nine-year chapter defined by hiding and a significant boost to his wellbeing.
The new series of The Bad Skin Clinic, which features this case, launches on Wednesday, January 21 at 9pm on TLC. The episode will also be available for streaming on Discovery+.
