A woman has shared her “nightmare” ordeal as a large growth has returned on her ear – and it’ll cost at least £500 to remove.
Jennifer McWilliams hit the headlines after appearing on TLC’s Dr Pimple Popper.
The 35-year-old had “enormous haggis-like” growths on both of her ears following two infected piercings.
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Dr Sandra Lee, who diagnosed them as keloid scars, worked her magic and successfully removed them.
But now, another growth has returned on her right ear – this time with a vengeance.
“I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to go through this nightmare again,” the streamer told Need To Know.
“The first time around left me a complete shell of myself.
“I was plagued daily by debilitating pain, nausea, headaches and difficulty hearing.
“When Dr Sandra Lee removed them from my ears, I felt like half of my head was gone.
“I was able to start living life again after years of shutting myself away.
“But it doesn’t matter anymore as I’m now facing this battle once more.
“This time, though, I don’t know if I’ll be able to remove it for good.”
Jennifer, from Philadelphia, US, says she realised the keloid was returning when she noticed little red marks on her ear.
It was hoped that after removing ear tissue and undergoing radiation therapy during the initial removal in 2019, they wouldn’t grow back.
But these marks quickly turned into lumps and then one big mass.
Jennifer was left even more “horrified” when learning that her insurance wasn’t accepted at the dermatologist.
Now, she’ll have to fork out at least £500 to have the mass removed, along with a further £116 monthly.
She said: “I’m frustrated.
“It’s crazy that my insurance company doesn’t have any dermatologists [that can help].
“If they did, the chances are that I’d still have to pay out of pocket for the procedure since it’s considered cosmetic.
“I will also have to attend monthly visits for steroid injections that I will have to pay for out of pocket [so the keloids don’t return].
“And there’s no way of knowing exactly how many visits I’ll need post-surgery.
“It’s very possible that it’ll return again, or the left ear will develop one and the cycle will continue.
“It saddens me to think about it being something I’ll have to continuously deal with – especially if I have to keep paying out of pocket.
“I’ve become a little more numb to it; it’s my new ‘normal.
“Right now, it’s just something I have to stay strong about and get through in this moment.”
Jennifer, who is undergoing the procedure on 28 April 2025, hopes this will be the last time she’ll have to go through this “agonising” ordeal.
She added: “It’s put me off ever getting my ears pierced again.
“I didn’t think such an innocent little thing could cause such turmoil.
“Strangers stare and that makes me so self-conscious.
“Whenever I leave the house, if I feel confident enough, I wear a headband to cover it up.
“I’m about to hit breaking point again as the growth is starting to crack and bleed.
“I don’t how much more I can take; though I’m keeping positive this will be the last time I’ll have deal with these horrid masses.”
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