I had something similar.  It wasn't a mole~just a little white fleck of skin about the size of a pin head that would flick off once in a while...disappear for a year or so then the fleck would come back.  It was between my nose and lip....when I had a little growth removed off my nose I had the doc look at it....he said they'd test it...it came back as basal cell cancer....(that's not like melanoma) but still and all it had to come out...He cut from base of my nose to top of my lip so that it wouldn't "pucker"..There's just something awful about them cutting your face...because that just kind of defines who we are somehow.....I just about died when I saw how big the cut was...but it has healed nicely (2 years ago) and I have a very fine little white line that most people don't notice....although I do.  I never wore much in the way of makeup but now I use that Bare Escentuals powder and it does a pretty good cover up and "evening-out"  job as the skin there is slightly a different color now..  Too many years in the sun for me..... 

Scary to think it could have been ignored.

I periodically need to have skin cancers removed.

They show up as small scaly patches that can be peeled off by me, but return. Then I know it is time to have them professionally removed.

Probably the same as TRose described.

Usually they can be frozen off but I have also had them cut  out.

Charlee...so glad you went to the dermatologist. My hubby has had quite a few cancerous and precancerous moles removed.  In fact he has an appointment next month to have some checked.  It is good that your dermatologist is checking to see how deep he will need to cut to get to the root of it.  Please let us know how things are going.

 

Now...for me to get on the bandwagon and gripe!  I don't think MD's pay enough attention to things that could turn out serious.  Remember when I had the lipoma on my back...had the body scan done.  The MD said...we'll watch it...WELL...if I had not had the gut feeling I was not comfortable with that and had not gone to the dermatologist ...I would have been in real trouble.  As it was ...  I went through a rough surgery...(done by a plastic surgeon as recommend by the dermatologist due to the blood vessels and muscle being cut) and if I had JUST WAITED and watched it....I don't know what the outcome would have been as I had to go through six weeks of physical therapy afterwards.

 

I think anything on our skin that doesn't seem the norm....go straight to the dermatologist.  I'm a firm believer of that.  We each go each year and our's goes over us with a fine tooth comb and if any mole bothers me...even if it's not serious...I say "take it off."

 

Side note...the cancerous ones my hubby had ...he would start complaining that they itched and were tender.  He had some pretty big ones on the back of his neck that were pretty deep.  His dad had many skin cancers and had to have part of his ear removed so it runs in his family. 

 

You take care of yourself....and good for you for getting this taken care of.

 

Hugs!

 

Charlee,

 

I had a mole on my arm that I finally had a dermatologist look at in June.  He thought that it would probably be benign when he biopsied it but found out in July that it was Superficial Spreading Malignent Melanoma.  I had surgery in August and go Monday to have the dematology surgeon look at it and let me know if he managed to remove it all.

 

I will be making an appointment with dermatology for a complete boby check after this.  If a mole or spot has you concerned, please, please get it check out.

 

 

adair

anything that doesn't seem right on your skin should be always checked out be a dermatologist, living here in florida,with the sun out all the time, it's dangerest not to have things check out.  I always wear a sun screen on my face.

I am so glad you went to the Dr. for this and will get it removed. Hugs! Angelbear

Charlee thanks for raising this thread I have had Basel Carcinoma removed from my shin apparently one of the places they are very common. Have had quite a few Keratis (think thats how you spell it) burnt off my face and hands breasts ( around the bra line). I have very fair Irish skin and my ex wanted me to look brown like the other girls in my group and of course silly me got out with the Olive Oil and vinegar and all I got was horribly burnt. Yes we are all paying for our lack of knowledge in the 50s 60s and 70s.

I am so glad you went to your dermatologist and having it removed will be thinking of you.

Taryn your story is quite scary I have to tell you I have a suspicious mark on my face will definitely be phoning the skin specialist tomorrow.

Thanks girls for making us all aware and prompting us to have our check ASAP.

Hugs Clare OZ

Thinking of you today. Let us know how it goes with the Dr. Thursday.

 Moving up hoping Barb will see this and let us know how she is.