My biopsy showed infiltrative BCC on the tip of my nose. Because of this it is unclear how invasive the surgery will be. I work with the public and am very concerned about appearing off putting to the patrons. How did you handle your work situation? Did you take much time off?
The ones I see recommended the most often are Blue Light, Photo Dynamic and Fraxel. They’re all laser, is there really a difference? My doctor offers Laser Dynamic Therapy but I can’t find any supporting evidence and my insurance won’t pay for it.
Hi all,
My dad (73) just got diagnosed with stage three Merkel cell carcinoma. To say our family is in shock is an understatement.
My dad is extremely positive about the whole thing so it’s my mum, but I can’t help but feel scared that it might all fail, the immunotherapy…
You can imagine where all my thoughts are going when you hear the words stage three, cancer and not only that but a rare and aggressive one…
I have been fearing the worst and imagining that this could be the thing that takes him away. I’ve been reading Reddit to try and see if there’s any positive stories out there but they are really hard to find.
I suppose I’m just writing here to ask for any stories about their story with MCC, or a loved one. The good and the bad I want to be realistic here.
Thank you for letting me vent
So I had my skin check on Friday and the dermatologist looked very closely at a small spot. He said he couldn’t tell what it was, just that it was inflamed. I have OCD so this sent me into a spiral. I know that life is filled with uncertainty and that the doctor didn’t feel the need to biopsy this but for peace of mind I almost wish he had. To make matters worse I also suffer from dermatilimania and have picked at the spot, which of course just makes it look worse.
(32F)This week was my second MOHS for Basal Cell Carcinoma. I went back to the same surgeon because the first time it was my face and you can’t even tell.
Anyway, despite an annual dermatology visit, this spot took two rounds of removal. The Z is so I don’t get a permanent bald spot.
Hello everyone,
Welcome to our weekly thread for sharing photos of concerning moles, spots, or lesions. If you're worried about something on your skin, this is a place to share it with the community for support and to see if others have had similar experiences.
When posting a photo, please try to include:
No one on this subreddit can provide a medical diagnosis. The comments and feedback you receive are from laypeople sharing their own experiences, not from medical professionals. Online photos are not a substitute for an in-person examination by a qualified dermatologist.
If you are concerned about any spot on your skin, the only correct course of action is to schedule an appointment with a doctor. Early detection is key.
We are here for support, but your health must come first.
For the previous week's thread, click here
Hello everyone, today is Sunday, June 7, 2026 (for reference).
Welcome to the weekly thread for sharing your biopsy waiting period anxieties and results. This is a safe space to connect with others who are in the same boat.
Are you waiting for biopsy results?
Have you recently received your results?
A few friendly reminders:
You are not alone in this. We're here for you. 🖤
For the previous week's thread, click here
I have/had, had hopefully, a bc on the side of my nose that was large and literally neglected for 15 years. I finally was off work for a couple months and could get it done because I chose SRT instead of mohs.
Both my grandmother who was fair and in the sun a lot, my mother who was fair and like a vampire never saw the sun ... literally had bc in the exact same place. Both of them had it surgically removed and I didn't like the way my mothers appeared.
I have a olive complexion and have had a bc in my nose for about 15 years and have spent much of my 66 yrs in the sun on the Texas coast.
I started SRT a couple of months ago after they shaved down the bc which had become bulbous and that procedure was very painful because I wasn't numbed properly. Kind of off topic but I almost didn't finish up because the doctor said, "Oh that didn't hurt" ugh I asked for another doctor as there are two more both which were great. I started the SRT treatments which I then had a major claustrophobia issue. I can't do closed MRI but thought this is only on my head but I freaked.
I was prescribed low dose valium which worked and just finished the treatment last week.
The issue I'm having now is it's gross, it's ugly, if I sneeze God knows what may come out of my nose as it's also damaged the inside. I have never felt so disgusting in my life which I still have to live work and be seen in public. My after care instructions have been to use aquafor don't bandage let air to it (which aquafor does not let in air its like Vaseline). My instructions say the radiation will continue to react up to ten days after radiation ??!!!! I believe it I'm on the third day with no radiation and my nose is so gross. 😥
The aquafor is doing exactly what a bandage does not letting it get air. Instructions recommend letting air get to it. When I put the aquafor on it it melts the scab which turns white and look like it has pus. I don't get how melting a scab over and over will leave less of a scar??
Has anyone else had this issue, I'm really depressed and Im trying to change jobs and there's no way I can interview at the moment. Also I'm a driver and my boss wants me to wait two weeks since I took valium even though I haven't taken any in several days and it's not on our regular department of transportation drug panal. So there really no where to test that's DOT testing for valium.
I wish now I had just got Mohs.
I'll get some pictures together to show the stages of this.
Hi! I was diagnosed with BCC a few weeks ago. I have Mohs surgery next month and I have a couple of spots I am worried about. My next skin check isn’t until next year. Do the surgeons perform any type of skin check before surgery, or could I ask them to take a look at what I am concerned about? Thanks!
Before I say anything, just know I’m an over explainer to the max so enjoy the ride 🤍.
I’m greatly in need of genuine good advice, thank you.
I 20F got diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma nodular type yesterday.
Firstly I am so thankful for this diagnosis because things could have been terribly worse. My heart goes out to all of you that have experienced this. Yall are all so brave and inspiring 🤍.
I have been feeling so down but I also think I might be coming down with a stomach bug lol. Or it could just be anxiety.
Anywho.
I went and got a biopsy on this spot on my neck earlier this week, and even just simply doing the biopsy and them numbing and cutting a piece for testing was so hard for me. I don’t like doctors or anything of that sort. It took me awhile to agree to the biopsy but once I did I think I had the worst anxiety attack of my life lol. My legs were constantly shaking (and I’m talking about looked like I was seizing and I couldn’t control it.) I felt like I couldn’t breath and everything was just soo overwhelming. After the biopsy I felt really weird. My mind felt foggy and all I could do was stare at the road on the way back home. All in all my body just felt weird. But I think that was because I had such a bad anxiety attack.
This diagnosis scared the absolute shit out of me when I first heard it.
Since getting diagnosed I have done minimal research because I don’t want to freak myself out.
But I know I need to be aware of the risks and how to take care of my skin in the future.
Please anyone that has dealt with this, please tell me your stories.
I am beyond terrified of surgery. Like I said even the biopsy was terrible for me. I think the one thing that scares me about surgery is honestly the healing of the stitches.
I have over 10 tattoos, I’ve had staples from busting my head, broken a leg etc. but none of those things compares to this. I am beyond terrified and grateful at the same time but holy shit how do I make the anxiety go down?!??
They said they want me to make the appointment before 3 months. So I have time to understand what my body is actually going through. And know the risks. Anything you know about basal cell please don’t be afraid to let me know. And tips for anxiety would be amazing.
Thank you guys if you’ve gotten this far. 🤍
Anyone else get blurry vision on the chemo cream? My partner is going nuts cleaning his readers, but i just read a side effect is blurry vision. His 4th application will be tonight.
I have a superficial BCC on my forehead that is adjacent to a basal cell I had removed a few years ago via mohs. Derm and plastic surgeon both are suggesting topical since it’s superficial and would leave no scar, but I feel like mohs is the better route? The topical would leave a nasty wound on my forehead for months compared to a surgical incision that would heal in the same amount of time. Anyone have any insight?
I was checked by a dermatologist and she said the next day on call "do you have a moment?" She then proceeded to say that I have stage 1 melanoma we scheduled a removal for august...
I've had a bump on my leg for like a year. Went to dermatologist just now and they took a sample for biopsy. They didn't give me any post biopsy instructions. So I figured I'm fine. I read on a dermatologist website that I can't take baths for 2 days following. My Dr did tell me to keep the bandage on till tomorrow. Thats it. I had to ask the tech if I need to avoid sunlight. She says no. But that Drs office website I read, different from the one I went to, says no direct sunlight and I work with dogs in the sun this afternoon so I'm like what the heck. As long as my bandage is on and I stay in the shade am I good? Furthermore that site says when I remove the bandage clean it with mild soap. That's obvious, but also put petroleum jelly on the site. So now I'm confused. I feel fine from the biopsy.
My plastic surgeon who performed Mohs reconstructive surgery on my nose with a bilobed flap claims that he hasn’t seen silicone scar sheets be effective, unless they’re worn for 22 hours per day. But I I’ve read several posts on here where people recommend using it starting about 2 weeks after surgery. For those of you who’ve used them, what’s been your experience? Have they been helpful? have they made any difference? I’ve actually been wearing them around the clock after massaging in silicone scar gel because I find that the sheets camouflage my healing incision best. when I saw the doctor at my one month follow up today, he basically laughed in my face when I said I was using them. My (37F) scar is about 2 inches long, from my nostril all the way up the bridge of my nose to under my eye so I’m desperate to do whatever it takes to optimize its healing and appearance. So I’ll keep wearing them for the next couple of months but am not sure if I should re-order them after this roll is done.
Starting around when I was 27 years old, I began developing what I thought was a jock itch rash in the crease of my groin on the left side. after several months of being red, irritated, and itchy, a patch began to rise slightly that was white and macerated in appearance, rough to the touch, but soft as in it was not hard but further than the surrounding tissue. It grew in a linear fashion but very slowly to where it was eventually about 3cm in length and 1cm wide. I thought it was just macerated or hyperkeratonized tissue from a chronic infection. I finally went to a dermatologist and she did a shave biopsy. I just got the results back that it’s a well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. I’m scheduled for a Mohs procedure tomorrow. How worried should I be? She said they don’t typically do any imaging or follow up other than skin checks following the excision. Anyone have any experience with this?
Hello everyone,
Welcome to our weekly thread for sharing photos of concerning moles, spots, or lesions. If you're worried about something on your skin, this is a place to share it with the community for support and to see if others have had similar experiences.
When posting a photo, please try to include:
No one on this subreddit can provide a medical diagnosis. The comments and feedback you receive are from laypeople sharing their own experiences, not from medical professionals. Online photos are not a substitute for an in-person examination by a qualified dermatologist.
If you are concerned about any spot on your skin, the only correct course of action is to schedule an appointment with a doctor. Early detection is key.
We are here for support, but your health must come first.
For the previous week's thread, click here
Hey all! I’m (26f) trying to help my mom (50f) get answers and reassurance after having two BCC surgeries on her right eye.
My mom’s had her fair share of BCC battles over the years and this most recent has had lingering problems for her. About a year ago she got her first surgery for her BCC that appeared on the lower outer part of her eyelid on her right eye. Surgery went fine and she was healing up until doc called back and said they didn’t get the full margins. So she had to go in for another surgery around 2 weeks later which took a fair more amount of her eyelid. I think her eye looks beautiful and healed really nice but she can see it’s a bit tighter and smaller than it used to be.
Aside from the aesthetics of it all, she has been fighting a lingering burning and tight-feeling sensation in her eye ever since her surgery last year and it’s breaking my heart to see her struggle so much with no answers or support. She says that her eye feels tight mainly all day and then it will also start burning/drying out and it affects her entire eyeball not just the eyelid. Her doctors have not given her much support aside from “it taking time” or eyedrops to feel better but I think there’s something more to this. She said that wearing a hat/sunglasses does help but she doesn’t want to have to wear those all day everyday.
Her doctor said that he’s only ever done this surgery with people 70+ so their eyes are already drier from being older so he has nothing else to compare her frustrations with since she only just turned 50 last year… which I think is ridiculous but that’s small town American healthcare for you.
I’m just wondering if anyone else out there has had a wacky time healing from a BCC eyelid surgery that could provide her some reassurance or moral support or even a new direction in how to make this problem easier to live with.
Hopefully I covered most of the issues here, I’m gonna ask her more questions tomorrow so see if I can help explain more of the problems better!
Any and all help or stories would be so appreciated!
Sending everyone love ❤️