A WOMAN with a mystery condition that causes her nose to go red – with strangers constantly asking if she’s sick – says doctors have no idea why it happens.
Jessica McGirr, from Donegal, first spotted the colour change five years ago when she was sunburnt during a holiday in Tenerife.
But while the rest of her skin recovered, her nose did not.
She says the bizarre situation is destroying her self-confidence and has seriously impacted her life, with the 24-year-old never leaving the house without makeup and often suffering unwanted comments.
Jessica, who currently lives in New York, US, said: “The redness has ruined my self-confidence, and I now wear makeup every day to hide it.
“I wouldn’t go out in public with my red nose, as I get many comments from strangers asking me what’s wrong with my nose or asking if I am sick.
“Strangers are very open to questioning me about my nose and pointing it out, but I don’t think that if it was a birthmark I would get as many comments about it.
“No diagnosis has been made which is very frustrating because I wish I knew why this happened and if there could be a cure.”
Jessica was on a boat trip on the Spanish island when she nodded off under the blazing sun without any sunscreen on.
She spent around four hours exposed to strong UV rays and when she woke up, she had a bright red nose.
The 30-year-old said the initial burn took about a week to go down.
But two weeks later, her nose was still red and sore.
It later became rough, inflamed and even started bleeding and scabbing.
Now more than five years later, Jessica’s nose is still red.
She said: “The initial blistering took about a week to go away but after two weeks, when my nose was still red, I got concerned.
“The skin on my nose was very textured and would often bleed and scab.
“For the first three years after the burn, my nose was very inflamed. It is more calm at the moment.
“It’s still very red but the texture is smoother.”
Jessica has seen three different doctors about her nose.
She said: “I was prescribed a few different creams at first, then I was prescribed medication for acne but neither of those worked.
“I was recommended to go to a skin clinic and get laser, so I got four sessions of intense pulsed light therapy but saw no results.
“I’ve had visual skin evaluations and blood tests but no doctor ever gave me a diagnosis.
“They denied it being rosacea due to it only being on my nose and it staying consistently red.”
Jessica claims she hasn’t been treated seriously and some doctors have simply told her to avoid spicy foods.
She said: “I feel very let down by the healthcare system at home, as no doctor ever seemed to care or wanted to refer me to a specialist.
“I don’t do any treatments or use any creams at the moment and I’ve never noticed an improvement with treatment.
“I now wear factor 50 sunscreen every day.”
Jessica refuses to go outside without makeup and uses heavy concealer to cover the redness.
She added: “I would love to seek further help.
“However, to me, it feels like I am throwing money away, as you have to pay so much for skin consultations just for them to not be able to help you.
“If I knew a treatment would work, I would love to try it.”
