Mother breaks down in tears after hiding huge lump behind ear for 40 years

The Bad Skin Clinic has returned with a heart-tugging episode showcasing Dawn, aged 57, with her septuagenarian mum Joyce reeling from their shared dermatological predicaments.

Joyce revealed a lump on her back to Dawn, which finally gave her the bravery needed to confess the sizable growth behind her ear that she kept a secret for over four decades.

Reflecting on their similar conditions, Dawn expressed: "I've got a lump on my back. To me, this lump is huge, but my mum's lump is on a different level."

Detailing her own revelation, Dawn said: "I learnt of my mum's condition a few months ago, only when I was talking about my own lump. I was just so shocked that she'd covered it for so long. I can't believe I've just never noticed it."

Joyce, confronting her longstanding secret, confessed: "I can't believe that I've allowed this to happen to my body, and I am ashamed what has happened to my body."

London-based Consultant Dermatologist Dr. Emma Craythorne took in the mother-daughter duo at her clinic, where Joyce lamented how the lump had been controlling her life.

She confided she even cut her hair herself to avoid having to display the mass, not to mention her concerns about it possibly being malignant.

Dr. Emma explained the nature of the growth, saying: "We can see that this is a very firm lump. This is made up of lots of tiny, tiny little balls inside it. It's on a little stalk underneath, so although it looks quite big, the attachment to you is much smaller."

Dr. Emma enlightened Joyce about her peculiar condition, saying, "To me this looks like something called an 'eccrine' - which just means from sweat - 'giant' -because it's pretty big 'spiradenoma'. It's related to the sweat glands, and so you make lots and lots of these in one place."

She explained further, revealing, "And the material that you're kind of seeing through this watery substance is like a sweat. Now, why some people get this, we don't really understand, the cells have just gone into overdrive, and you're making more and more and more of them."

Overcome with emotion, Joyce couldn't hold back tears after Dr. Emma reassured her that her lump wasn't cancerous, a mix of joy and relief washing over her.

The conversation turned as Dawn brought up another concern, a different lump on her back that had expanded over nine years. To this, Dr. Emma offered reassuring news that it was merely a benign tumour of fat, which could be surgically removed.

Experienced in treating such cases, Dr. Emma enthusiastically told Joyce, "I'm really excited to do this for you Joyce, I can see how much this has been worrying you."

She skillfully cut off the blood flow feeding the lump and completed the procedure with stitches for Joyce.

As for Dawn's back issue, Dr. Emma successfully removed the lipoma, prompting Dawn to express how life-changing this was for both her and her mother, saying, "For me and my mum, this means the absolute world."

Joyce echoed the sentiment with a heartfelt remark, stating, "You come in nearly in tears, and come out of her beaming don't you?".

Episode 3 of The Bad Skin Clinic airs on Really on October 22 at 9pm. Also available to stream on discovery+.