WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES: Nicole Carter says her skin condition was so extreme she’d have to vacuum up flakes from the floor as it came off in patches from her stomach, back, forehead, legs, and ears
A young woman whose skin condition was so extreme she was left ‘scooping and hoovering’ flakes of skin off the floor claims a ‘miracle product’ changed her life.
Nicole Carter first noticed signs of the skin condition, which causes flaky patches of skin, when she was 16. It began as a small spot in her hairline, but quickly spread across her scalp and down her neck, eventually covering her stomach, back, forehead, legs, and ears. At its worst, her skin would split, causing flakes to fall onto her shoulders and floor.
Despite trying various creams, ointments, and topical steroids, nothing provided lasting results until her sister spotted an advert for a consumer trial with Oregon Skincare on Facebook. Nicole, a 24-year-old administrator from Lichfield, says that after just one week of using their products, she noticed a significant improvement and within two months, her psoriasis had almost completely disappeared.
Speaking about the impact of these “miracle” products, she said: “The skin wasn’t pulling, it wasn’t splitting, I wasn’t flaking either. Honestly, I just felt happy and I didn’t have to vacuum. I’ve definitely had more confidence, my mood has been boosted, and I’ve been wearing more short sleeves and open back tops. I even wore shorts this summer.”
Nicole’s psoriasis resulted in her skin appearing red, raised, and flaky, feeling tight and “tender”. As the condition worsened, she became the target of cruel comments from her schoolmates. They would call her “disgusting”, accuse her of having dandruff and suggest she should “get Head & Shoulders” products. Nicole admitted that these remarks made her feel “low”.
“I was just trying to hide it and I was conscious of my movement because any time I’d move, I’d have flakes dropping onto my shoulders,” Nicole shared. The first doctor she consulted diagnosed her with psoriasis and prescribed creams and ointments, but these only provided temporary relief. She revealed that she tried 10 different creams and ointments before eventually being referred to a dermatologist, who prescribed her a topical steroid.
Nicole was apprehensive about using this, as she was warned that excessive usage could thin her skin, leading to “more splitting”. However, at this point, she felt desperate enough to think: “I’ll try anything.” While she did notice an initial improvement, within a week she said the psoriasis would return.
Despite her attempts to manage the condition with moisturisers, she said her “worst flare-up” occurred earlier this year, with her psoriasis covering her stomach, back, neck, forehead, legs, and ears. Moreover, she revealed that her skin began to flake excessively, to the extent that she could “scoop” the flakes from the floor.
She added: “It was honestly torture, I couldn’t move freely without my skin pulling or splitting. I tried to just ignore it, but when I noticed all the flakes on the floor and I had to vacuum every day, it gets to you.” Feeling like “nothing’s working”, Nicole admitted she attempted to “maintain her pain levels and get on with life”, though it proved challenging.
Nicole, who also has vitiligo – a long-term skin condition characterised by pale white patches – confessed she had “basically given up” hope of finding a remedy. However, everything changed when Nicole’s sister came across a Facebook ad for Oregon Skincare, which was seeking participants with psoriasis for a consumer trial.
Nicole plans to keep using these “miracle” products, including the company’s shampoo and conditioner, allowing her to move and stretch without pain and wear clothing that doesn’t cover her skin. On her advice to others, Nicole said: “I’d say don’t give up. There’s something out there that will help you, you just might have to go digging for it.”
