We all get blemishes on our skin every now and then. Spots can be the result of hormonal changes, an excess of oil on the skin or other relatively harmless factors.
But there are times when a pimple could signal something far more sinister.
According to a doctor, what can look like just a normal spot on the face could be an early telltale sign of a deadly skin cancer.
Speaking on social media platform TikTok, Doctor Michael Mrozinski explained more about basal cell skin cancer, a type of skin cancer that most often develops on areas of skin exposed to the sun, such as the face.
Responding to another creator’s video about a spot by 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, who is Scottish but works in Australia, revealed he typically sees three to four cases of this every week.
He said: “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 added 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 speak to 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 said.
“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.