A man who “ended up looking like the Elephant Man” after developing a severe skin condition has shared never-before-seen pictures of his recovery.
Ian Arthur’s ordeal first began when he noticed his nose had become “a bit knobbly”.
Over time, the symptoms dramatically worsened and got to the point where he would avoid going outside to not suffer painful stares and comments.
Doctors diagnosed him with rhinophyma, a swelling of the nose characterised by large, bulbous masses.
Ian’s GP prescribed drugs and treatments but nothing worked.
Desperate to finally have his life back, he paid £3,495, for private surgery.
He’s now sharing these images for the first time in the hopes of helping others who are suffering from similar conditions – and to encourage them to seek help even if they feel embarrassed.
“I was like the Elephant Man – it was really horrible,” the Mancunian, who currently lives near Glasgow, told Need To Know.
“I more or less cut myself off [from the world].
“I stopped going out. I would go to the supermarket late at night to avoid people.
“I travel a lot on my motorbike – I’d have my helmet on all the time, which was a great way of hiding.
“I even camped in obscure places away from people.
“I knew people were looking at me and thinking, ‘There’s the guy with the strange nose.’”
Ian received a variety of treatments from his GP but none were effective.
The photographer’s condition was caused by the overproduction of oil, and treatment options on the NHS are limited – although laser surgery is offered in extreme cases.
Day 1 Post-op. (Jam Press/Ever Clinic)
Ian said: “I didn’t know what to do.
“I’d been to see my GP.
“She’d referred me to try skin scrubs and gave me some pills and things like that, but they were just no use at all.
“It was my daughter who encouraged me to finally look for a specialist.
“I found one in Glasgow and got a consultation at the Ever Clinic.”
The 66-year-old had surgery on his nose – but then another problem arose.
Day 10 Post-op. (Jam Press/Ever Clinic)
During recovery, Ian was left with a large, painful-looking and smelly scab.
He added: “The actual procedure was painless as it was anaesthetised.
“The injections to numb my face were the worst bit as I hate needles – there were four in total, one below and above the nose and one in either cheek.
“After that, it was fine.
“I was awake during the whole thing and there was no pain, just a slight smell.
“I was on a knife edge in the consultation because I’m a guy and it’s cosmetics.
“I was ready to walk away, but I’m so glad that I stayed and saw the light.
“The doctor was very knowledgeable about it [my condition] and most importantly, he had the tools to fix it.”
Thankfully, three weeks following surgery, Ian’s nose – and the scab – healed.
He felt like a new man and has since taken his bike all around the UK and Ireland – but this time, he’s not hiding his face.
Ian added: “I’ve been allowed to carry on with my life again.
“I go out, I do things, I go places – I have no fear of taking my helmet off.
“I have no fear of going into a coffee house or a bar because I’m finally normal again.”
