Woman thought it was ‘just a pimple’
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Michelle Davis, 52, was shocked after discovering that a seemingly harmless pimple on her nose was actually skin cancer. The account manager from Orewa, New Zealand, first noticed the red pimple in April 2022 and thought it was just a spot. She would cover it up with concealer, according to Express UK. “It was really hard. Like a volcano under the skin," she said, "I went walking with my girlfriend and it went purple and she pointed it out. I said, ‘It’s just a pimple’.”
She tried to pop the pimple
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The spot became “really sore” by January 2023. Davis tried to squeeze the spot, something many people end up doing to their 'pimples'. She said, “Nothing happened. Then it bled and bled. I thought ‘That’s not normal’.”
Basal cell carcinoma diagnosed
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Davis' doctor immediately thought it was cancer, A biopsy confirmed that she had basal cell carcinoma – a common form of non-melanoma skin cancer. “I was in shock when I found out,” she said. “I had never heard of basal cell carcinoma.” Michelle underwent a nasal flap reconstruction in April this year to remove the cancer.
Impact of surgery on face
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“They cut up my nose in a zig zag. They cut out a crater. There was a hole in the end of my nose. They then bring the skin down to cover it,” Davis explained. Michelle was left with scarring and asymmetrical nostrils.
Raising awareness
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Michelle is trying to raise awareness of this seemingly harmless symptom so other people can get it checked out before it is too late. “If I’d kept ignoring it, it would have got way bigger. I might have got to the stage where they couldn’t cut it out," she said. “I honestly thought it was a pimple. I thought skin cancer was a mole. Skin block wasn't a thing when I was growing up. Now it's in my day to day skin care."
Read more: Early signs of blood cancer that you should be aware of
Common symptoms of Basal cell carcinoma
The most common symptom of this type of skin cancer is a lump or discolored patch on the skin that persists after a few weeks and slowly progresses over months or sometimes even years. According to the NHS UK, in most cases, cancerous lumps are red, firm and sometimes turn into ulcers. Cancerous patches are usually flat and scaly. Consult your doctor if you notice any suspicious lumps skin abnormality.
Read more: 4 red flag symptoms of colon cancer in people under 50, according to study
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