It’s an agonising and disfiguring skin condition that plagues one in every 100 Britons – yet very few have ever heard of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).
A chronic inflammatory disease, it causes painful, boil-like lumps to form deep under the skin in areas such as the armpits and groin.
Occurring when hair follicles are blocked, flare-ups can resemble ingrown hairs. But left untreated, HS can cause weeping sores curable only by surgically removing the affected area of skin.
For decades, treatment has been limited to antibiotics, antibacterial washes and pain relief. But for many with severe cases of HS, this cannot fully clear up
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