A man found himself unable to kiss his wife because of one of the most extreme cases of nose enlargement a clinic had ever seen. Gerard McAliece, a 68-year-old grandfather, started noticing alterations to his nose six years prior, as it continued to “grow and grow.”

He was suffering from a severe case of Rhinophyma, a condition caused by the excessive growth of sebaceous glands and connective tissue in the nose, which leads to significant swelling, redness, and bumps. Gerard’s nasal tissue became so overgrown that it drooped over his mouth and covered much of his face.

Feeling self-conscious and anxious about how his grandchildren might be perceived because of his looks, the condition also stopped him from kissing his wife, Carol.

“It just kept growing and growing, and I did my best to overlook it,” said Gerard, a 30-year retired IBM employee from Kilmalcolm, Scotland.

“Yes, people began to stare, and some would turn away, but my view was: this is me. Take me as I am.

“In retrospect, the younger kids were the worst. I mean no harm to them, but they have no guile at that age and no filters.

“I used to really worry at my grandchildren’s birthday parties – what do their wee pals think? Are they saying: ‘is that your granda?’

“When I went to the doctor it was a locum that I saw, they asked if I could breathe and I said ‘yes’ and they said ‘that’s ok then’.

“I didn’t bring it up with my GP as I doubted they would address it, seeing it as a cosmetic issue. I didn’t push the matter. I’m not someone who insists on things being done for me. There are more important things happening.”

Gerard’s wife, Carol, understood that the situation had become unbearable. “I hadn’t been able to give her a proper kiss in years,” he remarked – leading her to conclude that pursuing private treatment was the only viable solution.

She reached out to Ever Clinic in Glasgow, having learnt about their other successful Rhinophyma treatments. A consultation ensued during which Gerard said he was “made to feel at ease right away”.

He said it was evident the extraordinary scale of the growth was “quite a shock to them” but that their instant response was: “Yes, we can help.”

During an intricate four-hour procedure headed by Rhinophyma expert Dr Cormac Convery, Gerard’s surplus skin was eliminated and his nose reshaped to better suit his face.

“They said it was the biggest job that they had ever tackled and that it was going to be a real challenge, but that, hopefully, they would be able to do it in one session, which they did – although the operation lasted more than four hours,” he said.

“I had no idea of time during the surgery and, towards the end, the local anaesthetic was starting to wear off. They gave me a little more and said ‘almost there, hold on’ and then it was done.

“The result has been fantastic. It has totally turned my life around.

“Carol says that I am back to being the man that I used to be. I am now talking to people, going for a pint and enjoying meals out in restaurants, which we haven’t done for years.

“Kilmacolm is a fairly insular sort of place and I don’t golf, or play bowls or fish, but I am really enjoying settling down with a book, or my crosswords, or getting jobs done in the garden. If there is anyone out there in the position I was in, my advice to them would be – don’t wait. Just do it.”

Jonathan Toye, managing director at Ever Clinic, said: “Gerard was easily the most advanced case of rhinophyma we’ve seen at Ever Clinic. Unfortunately, he struggled to find the help he needed through the NHS and we see this far too often.

“We’ve reached out several times to explore how we might support in managing these cases, but so far there’s been little progress. Dr Cormac really outdid himself with this case and the result is outstanding. We’re so proud of the whole team and hearing Gerard talk about how it’s changed his life has been a proud moment for all of us.”