With all the irritation of the summer months, heat, sun, creams and lotions many of us may be waking up to more pimples. More often than not, spots are a result of hormonal fluctuations, excess oil, or other relatively harmless factors. However, there are instances where a pimple can be a warning sign of something far more serious. A doctor has revealed that what appears to be a run-of-the-mill spot on the face could be an early indication of a deadly skin cancer. His main message is to get it checked if in doubt.
Taking to TikTok, Doctor Michael Mrozinski shed light on basal cell skin cancer, a type of skin cancer that commonly develops on sun-exposed areas, such as the face. Commenting on another user’s video about a spot near their nose, he said: “So that right there is a perfect example of what an early basal cell skin cancer looks like.” Literally it can just look like a pimple that’s not going away.”
Dr Michael, a Scottish doctor based in Australia, revealed he typically sees three to four cases of this every week. He added: “A lot of the time people coming in to see me haven’t even realised it could be something like a skin cancer.
“So I’ve had times where I’ve said to somebody, what’s that on your face and they will see as a pimple, and I’ll say, ‘How long has it been there for,’ and they’ll say, ‘Six months,’ and I’ll say, ‘Do you think it’s normal for a pimple to be hanging around after six months?'”.
He also noted that men often mistake the spot for a shaving cut. Dr Michael concluded that if you notice a pimple that isn’t going away you should consult your doctor.
“So if you’ve had a lot of sun exposure in your lifetime and you’ve got a pimple, that’s not going away, let somebody look at it down a dermascope, which is a type of microscope that we have in the office,” he advised.
“Because if you catch these things early, we can actually use some creams, chemotherapy creams to get rid of them without having to cut something off of your face.
“But if it’s too far gone, we’re going to have to excise them, you may end up with a scar on your face.
“So please be vigilant when checking your skin and always wear your sunscreen, we know that they reduce the risks of these.”
According to the Mayo Clinic in the US, there are a number of indicators of basal cell carcinoma. These include a growth or sore with one of the following characteristics:
- A shiny, skin-coloured bump that’s translucent, meaning you can see a bit through the surface
- A brown, black or blue lesion — or a lesion with dark spots — with a slightly raised, translucent border
- A flat, scaly patch with a raised edge
- A white, waxy, scar-like lesion without a clearly defined border.