The Embarrassing Illnesses doctors have decided to up sticks and take their clinic on the road! In the first of four special programmes, the three straight-talking doctors – Christian Jessen, Dawn Harper and Pixie McKenna – begin their tour of Britain in the city of Leeds, with a PR offensive that Victoria Beckham would be proud of. And to ensure that no fungal feet, problem penises or bothersome boils slip through the net, the EI team have chosen a location bang in the heart of Leeds, on Briggate – one of the city’s busiest shopping streets.
With the high street transformed into a slalom of stalls, information boards and games, there will be nowhere for the people of Leeds to hide. The doctors are back…and the time for excuses is over!
Kicking off proceedings is Kali, who has embarrassment written all over her face. She’s suffering from a common inflammatory condition of the skin called Rosacea, which causes redness that looks like a flush or blush. Often afflicting the fair-skinned, there’s no cure for the condition, but Dr McKenna should be able to treat it effectively.
Then there’s David who has a skin condition. But it isn’t fungal, bacterial or viral…there’s just too much of it! After growing to a staggering 28-stone, David managed to lose half that weight over the course of a two-year diet. However, the weight loss has left him with huge rolls of excess flesh. Dr Jessen subsequently books him in for a breast operation, which will hopefully give him a body to be proud of.
And from breast operations to wedding day preparations – Dr Jessen also sees 54-year-old Christopher, who’s worried that he might not be able to rise to the occasion on his wedding night. We’ll see whether Christopher’s nocturnal nuptials will be a flop or not on Thursday’s show, dedicated entirely to men.
Sometimes even a little bit of extra skin can go a long way…to causing major embarrassment. For newly single Alyson, her enlarged labia has made her anxious about exposing herself to a new partner, so visits the clinic to see what her options are. Alyson’s story continues on Wednesday, when the Embarrassing Illnesses team will be discussing labias, vulvas and all things vaginal.
Meanwhile, Dr Jessen visits a school in Rochdale to talk to its 130 teenagers about acne. Eight out of 10 of us will suffer from it at some time in our lives, but it is largely viewed as an affliction of the teen. Dr Jessen dispels some of the most popular myths about the condition and also explains that, like many medical conditions, acne can be effectively treated.
However, Haleigh didn’t receive the right treatment for her acne. It’s now 28 years since she got her first spots and she’s still living with the effects. Dr Harper subsequently sends her to a private clinic for four treatments of a relatively new process called Fractional Laser Resurfacing. The treatment will be intense, but it might just be the answer to her problem.
Another patient with a skin condition is Rachel. She was struck with psoriasis after her father died in 1996, when she was just 11 years old. But despite constant treatment over the last 12 years, her psoriasis is only getting worse. Dr Jessen determines that a course of UV light treatment might improve Rachel’s condition, but will the results put a smile back on her face?
In the UK, over 85,000 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year – more than any other form of cancer. With this in mind, Dr McKenna meets a woman with sun-damaged skin, whilst Doctors Jessen and Harper offer mole checks to anyone concerned, and offer advice on the safest way to enjoy the sun. After all, skin cancer is the only cancer we can actually see with the naked eye before it becomes dangerous.
And don’t forget – you can watch our self-check guide about how to check your skin by clicking here, or you can get the guide on your mobile phone by texting MOLE to 84444…
Last through the clinic’s doors is Dionne, with a skin condition so rare that for 12 years no-one has been able to identify it. That is, of course, until Dr Harper casts her eye over Dionne’s scaly legs and diagnoses Ichthyosis and a cellophane and cream treatment. Dionne has seen dozens of specialists over the years, but is hoping that Dr Harper’s miracle treatment will finally give her the relief she’s been searching for.
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