Ian Arthur, a former sailor, faced a distressing situation when a significant growth on his nose began to develop, causing him so much embarrassment that he avoided leaving his home.
About ten years ago, Ian noticed his nose starting to enlarge with noticeable bumps and sought medical advice. Initially, he was diagnosed with rosacea, a condition known for facial redness, and received treatment from his general practitioner. Unfortunately, his condition only worsened, leading to an even more pronounced swelling of his nose.
As the Covid pandemic began, Ian attempted to find a solution, receiving prescriptions for an ointment and a chemical scrub, neither of which alleviated his condition. Eventually, he sought surgical options after a referral to a specialist clinic as his nose’s shape had altered so drastically that he felt compelled to wear a motorcycle helmet in public and shop during off-peak hours to avoid attention.
Ian’s diagnosis was eventually identified as rhinophyma, which significantly alters the nose’s appearance, making it red, swollen, and bumpy.
“The rhinophyma started to develop about 10 years ago, gradually at first, but then more aggressively,” Ian recounted.
“It became much worse and much more noticeable until, by two years ago, I started to feel like a freak.
“In my isolation, I called my nose John, after John Merrick in The Elephant Man. It was huge carbuncle, which people could not avoid looking at.
“During Covid, I began to withdraw from society and, when it ended, I just couldn’t face meeting people.
“I wound down my business, because I felt clients were just staring at my nose. I even began shopping late in the evening, when there were fewer people about.”
Encouraged by his daughter to seek treatment, Ian considered traveling to Turkey due to lower costs but was apprehensive about the potential risks. He eventually discovered the Ever Clinic in Glasgow, close to his home in Helensburgh, which had experience treating severe cases of rhinophyma.
Ian underwent a two-hour laser surgery that meticulously removed the excess tissue from his nose, likening the process to “stripping layers of wallpaper.”
Ian said: “At last, I discovered the Ever Clinic, virtually on my doorstep. I saw pictures of what they had done with another poor soul who was, if anything, worse than me.
“And the cost was affordable. I was dealt with in a single treatment of two and a half hours and, yes, it has changed my life.
“You must understand, I am a basically a working class, Northern lad and I felt very nervous and out of place in a private clinic. But the staff were brilliant and Dr Convery was utterly superb. I am so thankful.
“Now it has gone, a huge weight has been lifted from me.”
Ian now looks forward to making the most of his newfound confidence by exploring on his motorbike, humorously stating he was ‘just going to follow my nose’.