What began for Nancy O’Donnell as random spots on her skin turned into a “nightmare” as they developed into thick keloid scars that led her to hide her body for years. Nancy has 20 of the red, raised lumps across her skin – leaving her in great discomfort but also facing unpleasant comments from others.
It was a result of her body “over-healing” from acne by producing an excess of collagen cells, which cause an overgrowth of scar tissue. The 25-year-old’s keloids continuously grow as her body treats them as wounds that need healing.
The vicious cycle means she will never be free of them. For more than a decade, Nancy has been battling the condition and unwanted comments from strangers.
However, after years of building 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 NeedToKnow. “It happened so slowly that I barely noticed it at first, but the pain and itching were 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 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 has been living with keloid scars since she was 11 years old. The condition is triggered by an aggressive bout of acne that didn’t clear up.
Her body’s fibroblast cells overproduced collagen during the healing process, leading to keloids – a diagnosis confirmed by a dermatologist. She learned this would be a lifelong condition.
Nancy began sharing her journey on social media in 2020, saying: “[Growing up], this affected everything in my life moving forward.”
She now aims to create a comforting space through her posts, and said: “I want to provide a safe space for other people living with keloid scars – the kind of space I needed as a young girl.”
Taking her story to the online world was intimidating, but support from strangers who sent messages of thanks convinced her of the movement’s significance. “It felt scary at first but I got messages [from strangers] thanking me and I knew [this] was bigger than just me.
Her mission isn’t just about scars, but also represents a fight for individual freedom, she said. She added: “It isn’t just about scars – it’s about freedom, and showing up as yourself even when the world expects you to shrink.”
Determined not to conceal her scars any longer, Nancy said: “I won’t hide any more. I know it’s important to have someone talking about keloids.” When she educates others about keloids, the response is often surprising. She said: “After I explain what they are, people always say they’ve never heard of them – and that means more needs to be done.”
Beyond their appearance, Nancy emphasises the physical discomfort of keloids: “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 a combination of treatments, including vascular laser therapy, 5FU chemotherapy, and steroid injections.
These treatments aim to reduce the redness and flatten the scarred skin, ultimately easing her discomfort and pain. In the future, Nancy hopes to become a model, proudly showcasing her keloid scars.
She said: “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.”
