Conrado Estrada, a 57-year-old painter, was given a second chance at life after a rare condition made his nose so big that he had trouble breathing, eating, and going out in public. The man was suffering from a severe case of rhinophyma—a skin disorder that enlarges the nose and makes it red, pitted, and bumpy. The Portchester resident told The New York Post:
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Children would ask their mothers what happened to me — and I would get around it by using a face mask all the time.
It had reached my lips and whenever I took a bite when I ate that would touch the spoon.
Finding a solution
Even after going to several skin specialists, he was unable to find a solution to his growing nose. However, everything changed when he happened to meet plastic surgeon Dr. Thomas Romo III during a paint job at his house. The surgeon, who noticed his condition, took him aside, and told him that he was going to help.
Dr. Romo described the severity by saying that it looked like there was 'a penis on his nose' and he added:
This was a bad one.
It was a smoldering infection... and it would have just kept going.
The only way to fix the problem was through surgery, and Dr. Romo decided that he would do it for free. In just a few days after they first met, Estrada was on the operating table and now it’s been four weeks since he’s recovered and living his life with his new and improved noggin. Just check out the transformation!
Rhinophyma
This rare condition is more commonly found in men that are aged between 50 and 70 years old. The causes are currently unknown but UT Southwestern Medical Centre states that it is thought to be ‘untreated and severe rosacea.’
They also mentioned that people that have an Irish, Scottish, Scandinavian, or Eastern European ancestry have higher chances of developing rhinophyma. Other risk factors include having fair complexion and family history with rosacea and rhinophyma.
