When the Bumps Finally Had a Name: John’s Road to Answers
The first bumps showed up quietly. John was just entering puberty. A teenager. At first, no one thought much of it. A few bumps along the back of the scalp could be acne. Or irritation from regular haircuts. Something simple. Something temporary. But the bumps never left. Year after year, they stayed. And slowly they […]
The Spark Returns After Chronic Folliculitis of the Nape (Part 2)
For years before meeting Dr. Sanusi Umar, John Picone was living with more than one scalp condition. He was battling acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN), cutis verticis gyrata (CVG), and dissecting cellulitis (DC). Each condition brought its own challenges. Together, they created a constant cycle of inflammation, swelling, and discomfort that affected far more than his […]
The Spark Returns: Chronic Folliculitis of the Nape (Part 1)
When John Picone first walked into the clinic, he believed the plan was simple. Dr. Sanusi Umar would remove the hardened bumps on the back of his head caused by acne keloidalis nuchae, also known as chronic folliculitis of the nape. Remove the problem. Close the chapter. But during that first visit, something unexpected happened. […]
Before the First Cut
When someone finally finds the right doctor for painful scalp bumps on the back of the head, especially those caused by conditions like folliculitis keloidalis nuchae, the emotion can be overwhelming. For John Picone, it was. The morning he was scheduled to see Dr. Sanusi Umar, he sat in his car and cried before he […]
When the Spotlight Feels Unwanted
By the time John Picone finally sat across from Dr. Sanusi Umar, he had already seen nearly everyone. Dermatologists. Primary care doctors. Specialists. Each visit came with a new theory. A new cream. A new pill. A new promise that this time, maybe, the swelling would calm down. Maybe the infections would stop. Some believed […]
The Unwanted Spotlight Due to Inflamed Scalp Cysts
By the time John Picone got to see Dr. Sanusi Umar, John had been to almost every doctor that treated skin issues that were similar to what John was experiencing. Each one gave John different creams, different pills, different ways to try to reduce the amount of swelling of the inflamed scalp cysts, or help […]
When Looking Hurts: John’s Transformation Journey
Some moments divide a life into before and after. For John, it was the day his car went off a cliff. He survived the crash, but survival came with consequences that reached far beyond twisted metal. In the months that followed, depression settled in. He felt a loss of control, a quiet heaviness that reshaped […]
From the Cliff’s Edge to Scalp Healing: John’s Transformation
Some moments split your life in two. For John, it was the day his car went off a cliff. He survived. But survival was only the beginning. When Trauma Lingers Beneath the Surface After the accident, the emotional weight settled in first. Depression. Isolation. A quiet sense that control had slipped through his hands. Then […]
The Physical Limitations of Severe Cicatricial Folliculitis in Daily Life
Once the Cicatricial Folliculitis reached Robert’s sideburns and scalp, every day was now an unpleasant experience. This was due to the discomfort associated with inflammation from the sideburns to the scalp, and the large lesions growing around his head. According to Dr. Sanusi Umar, the sheer size of these growths and where they are located […]
Living With Scalp Cysts From Childhood Changed Everything About His Life
Since childhood, Robert has lived with scalp cysts, and therefore it has affected every aspect of his adulthood. As such, when compared to patients who developed this condition later in life and had time to form relationships and establish their careers prior to developing the condition, Robert’s AKN began to progress much earlier and prevented […]