A young woman who noticed random spot on her skin was left living a “nightmare” as they developed into thick keloid scars that saw her cover up her body for years.
Nancy O’Donnell has 20 of the red, raised lumps across her skin – a result of her body “over-healing” from acne by producing too many collagen cells,m which cause overgrowth of scar tissue.
The 25-year-old’s keloids continuously grow as her body treats them as bounds that need healing.
This vicious cycle that means she will never be rid of them.
Nancy has been battling the condition – and strangers’ unwanted comments – for over a decade.
But after years of working on her confidence, she now feels “proud” of her skin and is sharing her story to help others.
“They started off as spots and then got bigger and bigger,” the caregiver from London, told Need To Know.
“It happened so slowly that I barely noticed it at first, but the pain and itching was striking.
“Before I knew it, they were huge and taking over my life.
“There have been so many times when people have stared and muttered mean things under their breath, telling me I’m ‘ugly’ and to ‘cover up’.
“I used to hide the scars up with layers of clothes, even in the heat.
“Make-up would never suffice as you could still see the lumps.
“Having keloids can ruin your life if you let it.
“I begged my dermatologist to cut them out and hated myself and my body for malfunctioning.
“It was a nightmare.”
“But they are normal, and you can still be beautiful no matter how much society tries to push you down.
My scars have gone from something I hid to something I showcase.
“We all deserve to feel comfortable in our skin.”
Nancy’s scars firstappeared at the age of 11, after she had suffered a bout of acne on her skin.
Instead of clearing up like most people’s, her body’s fibroblast cells were producing too much collagen while trying to heal the spots.
A dermatologist confirmed that these were keloids and she was told she would live with the condition forever.
She decided enough was enough in 2020 and started sharing her story on social media.
Nancy said: “[Growing up], this affected everything in my life moving forward.
“I want to provide a safe space for other people living with keloid scars – the kind of space I needed as a young girl.
“It felt scary at first but I got messages [from strangers] thanking me and I knew [this] was bigger than just me.
“It isn’t just about scars – it’s about freedom, and showing up as yourself even when the world expects you to shrink.
“I won’t hide anymore.
“I know it’s important to have someone talking about keloids.
“After I explain what they are, people always say they’ve never heard of them – and that means more needs to be done.
“Beyond them looking different, the nerve pain and itching is unbearable, and we shouldn’t have to just live with it.”
Nancy is currently undergoing vascular laser treatment, alongside 5FU [a form of chemotherapy] and steroid injections which, combined, will lessen redness, and flatten the scarred skin.
Crucially, it works to help ease her discomfort and pain.
She hopes one day to become a model with her keloid scars visible.
Nancy added: “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that healing isn’t about making something disappear.
“Sometimes it’s about learning to stand tall with the marks you carry.
“Imperfection is so in right now, and I’m here to shout from the rooftops that keloids are normal.
“I’m proud of my scars.”
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