She’s got thick skin.
A Brooklyn woman is defying cruel trolls to speak out about a rare medical condition that causes her skin to shed up to 10 times faster than normal.
Becca Joy Stout, 24, suffers from epidermolytic hyperkeratosis, a skin disorder that affects just one in 300,000 people worldwide.
Since birth, Stout’s skin has constantly peeled and blistered, leaving her susceptible to deadly infections. Friction from human contact can also leave the communications manager in unbearable pain — but remarks from strangers hurt most of all.
“I have found that it is not so much [my symptoms] but rather other people’s reactions to them that is really uncomfortable and even painful,” Stout told Media Drum, saying she’s been called “gross” and “disgusting.”
Others have asked insensitive and invasive questions, quizzing Stout on how she has sex if her skin cannot handle any friction.
But the “dehumanizing” questions and comments haven’t stopped Stout from sharing stories about epidermolytic hyperkeratosis on TikTok, where she has racked up more than 21,000 followers.
“My skin disorder occurs as a mutation in the Keratin 1 or Keratin 10 gene,” the Brooklynite explained. “In my case, it was a mutation on the Keratin 10 gene.”
“In the simplest of terms, my skin cells do not bond together like they should, and they proliferate too quickly,” she said. “The combination of these things means that my skin is especially prone to blisters and open wounds.”
Compression from sitting or lying down can cause Stout’s skin to blister in raised red patches that are sore and hot to the touch. Meanwhile, friction from brushing or bumping into something causes her skin to tear.
“When I am in pain . . . it is hard to move or get dressed or get myself to work via the subway,” Stout declared. “The pain also limits my ability to hang out with friends since spending long hours dancing in a club or sitting and chatting can cause discomfort.”
A defiant Stout has learned to manage her pain through different techniques and treatments, such as scrubbing her skin and using specialized lotions.
“On a multiple-times-a-day basis, I use lotions, thicker ones in the winter, lighter ones in the summer, and a combination in the fall and spring months,” she revealed. “I go through lotions so quickly that a large tub that would last most people months will probably only last me a couple of weeks if I am lucky.”
“Every day in the shower, I use moisturizing body washes and an antiseptic wash to get rid of as much bacteria as possible, and once a week, I scrub off my excess skin with a pumice stone or stone-like pedicure brush,” she said.
Stout is now enrolled in a Disability Studies master’s program at the City University of New York and says she isn’t afraid of trying new things — even if they cause considerable pain.
“I am much more likely than most of the people I know to try a new workout activity or do something like horseback riding and martial arts that I know will result in pain,” she stated.
“I know that I am going to feel pain for doing nothing, so I would rather feel that pain knowing that I did something enjoyable. Pain, for me, is inevitable, so I would prefer it on my own terms.”