Save My Skin Season 1, Episode 4 Cease and De-cyst: Burst to worst

This episode of Save My Skin introduces viewers to a fairly rare genetic disorder, extreme acne, and someone with a chip on her shoulder.

Dr. Emma Craythorne is back at it again on Save My Skin. She’s got a good variety of cases this week who challenge her in several ways. In fact, she has to farm out two of the procedures to colleagues who are specialists.

Let’s get to the rankings of Save My Skin Season 1, Episode 4 titled “Cease and De-cyst.”

1. Janette

Long story short, Janette is from Slovakia and has a ganglion cyst on her left wrist. It looks like she has a severe dislocation because the cyst is so significant, and Janette calls it a “gaglion” cyst in a bit of Freudian slip. Dr. Emma says it’s the biggest one she’s ever seen.

One option is to drain the jelly-like fluid with a needle, but it may come back. The plan is to refer Janette to a local hand surgeon to handle the procedure. Everything’s a complete success, even if the procedure is a bit delicate.

2. Gemma

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So, Gemma has a lump on her left shoulder. It’s been there for five years. It’s just above her clavicle, and before anything can start, Dr. Emma has to look at an MRI. Her analysis is literally that it is next to a “main vein that drains,” and in my head I heard “the rain in Spain.” It’s kind of weird because I feel like Dr. Pimple Popper would do this outpatient, squeeze a bit, and yank out some raw chicken.

Shocker, the procedure is super simple. One cut, then some of those bent forks to keep the incision open, and the raw chicken just begs to come out. It is, however, sitting on the jugular, and the doctor literally pokes it to prove it’s right there.

3. Abigail

A lot of people have acne. Especially when they’re somewhere in the teens all the way through the twenties. Well, Abigail has most of us beat, and we never lived through her drama. She covers it extremely well with makeup. When it’s removed, it’s extremely apparent.

The weird thing about it is, even when she’s without makeup the acne is not her most forward characteristic. She talks with an extreme under-bite and her tongue perpetually forward or out of her mouth, making it look like an inflamed tongue. You’d think it affects her ability to swallow pills, but she says she can’t do liquid either. They literally have to hide the pills in her food like she’s a dog.

Anyway, Dr. Emma thinks lasers and the tablets will work. Before the tablets, however, is a blood draw that brings Abigail to tears. The lasers are simple by comparison.

4. Gavin

Whoever heard of Hailey-Hailey disease? Apparently it causes lesions, blisters, etc., and they’re mostly in the groin and armpits. This obviously causes issues at home with Gavin’s wife and kids. The condition is about how the skin holds together, and when the condition rubs there are more issues.

The plan is a laser on two test patches: one by his armpit and one by his groin. He’s a tough guy on the first one, but he definitely notices the second one. Additionally, she recommends bleach baths once a week and some long-term antibiotics.

His follow-up appointment is a longer laser session, and he manages pretty well…because it’s only his armpit. Dr. Emma laughs about the eventual second and third session, which he probably won’t handle as well.

Save My Skin airs Thursdays at 9/8c on TLC.