Hello everyone I’m Tom originally from the UK. Im 52 years of age and have had BN for 35 years, since the age of 17 so I have a lot of experience with this condition. It covers my right shoulder to the front and goes all the way down to under my shoulder blade.it is hairy and as my head of hair through time has gone partially grey so has the BN hair.
I sympathize with those who are now finding out they have BN, back 39 years I went to a specialist within the NHS and she was so intrigued at what she thought was a new condition she brought along 14 colleagues who proceeded to prod and take pics while asking me a 100 questions.
This experience left me extremely embarrassed and since that day I’ve never seen another skin specialist and the many creams and treatments i have tried over the years were done on my own research. The worse part of the condition is when you enter a relationship and you feel awkward when its touched or seen or if you have to take your top off in public. Unfortunately there is no cure so here is my advice to dealing with it through the years ahead of you.
Shave it every three days or more and if you are going out socializing shave again just like you would your face. If asked about it do not feel ashamed, simply say its a birthmark without going into any detail about BN. The trick is to always have it shaved or waxed so that it doesn’t look freakish… without the hair is just a birthmark, ok its a big one but just a birthmark, shaving is the key, when you shave it you in time forget about it.
I personally took a while to come to terms with it but that was mainly due to not knowing what it was, I only found out via the internet but if I had those years back I"d follow my advice as above and just get on with it. Don’t hide from it…if you keep it hair free then its not as bad looking as you think it is. Another few tips is don’t listen to the stay out the sun advice.
I now live in Australia and swim everyday in the sun and all those years its stayed the same. When I apply sun cream I use the same amount as I would other parts of my body. If anyone has heard of a 100% laser hair removal treatment then I suggest you go for it. As I said it was always about the hair for me, the dark patch you will forget about.
I sometimes think about getting a laser treatment for the hair but at 52, married witH teenage kids I don’t worry about it now. laser hair removal wasn’t about in my younger years but if it was and it worked 100% then I would have got it done.
Hope this helps, if anyone wants to ask me More on NB then please do.