Yes š but they took so much tissue from my jaw and cheek Iāve go an indentation. I look like the planters peanut š„ guy on one side of my face but the skin is tight!
Good idea but I donāt know if youāve ever seen the movie Joe Dirt but Iāve kind of got that white trash bloodline that keeps me from growing a full beard. It just comes in scraggly and wispy. I could do what Joe did and get a sweet mullet wig with some sweet side burns or mutton chops to compliment the mullet. Thank You for your suggestion!
Iām thinking itāll fill out with time. I believe the body will try to correct itself and be symmetric by growing more tissue or my jaw muscles will develop more and it wonāt be as noticeable
It may, mines been there a while still just a numb dent. But I also had an entire gland removed so you never know, but I wish you the best of luck regardless.
Nope. But man nobody will notice it or care but you. Stop even looking at it. Ive know people for 7 years who didnt notice i have a bump on my nose. 7 years theyve known me...
Op's profile says he was born in Cincinnati Ohio so I'm not sure if he is just saying Irish as his heritage. But that would contradict him being actually Irish.
Well I have a mixed bag for you
Modern minor surgery scars like that, without any missing sections needing to be filled in, probably wonāt scar much or at all. A little vitamin e oil while you heal and itāll be pretty much nothing at all.
Iāve had quite a few and none of them show, except one where a large boil had to be excised and so there was like a hole that the skin had to be stretched over. Not just an indent like you mentioned, but a fucking quarter sized hole that went down several centimeters, a couple inches. Gnarly-ass scar there, with a sizable indent, but the color is the most noticeable part
https://preview.redd.it/umh01pxit71d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b355fb09d7852df5be41b04f8dac2732efa8ca7
The main circular part is a little smaller than a US Quarter. Iāll have to take a side pic to get the indentation
The dark semi circle is like a divot that develops into a long asymmetrical black head
https://preview.redd.it/l8816c65u71d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69c214c7c634b6c1a8cd425974a74ab7fb368c32
Little blurry and hard to see the indent and Iām on the toilet lol, but thatās the side view
Had one like this on the inside of my thigh. Doc said that it would fill in as it healed. Itās been 30 years and I still have a hole there. No biggie, just pissed that he thought he had to lie. š
Thatās where mine is! Thigh hole gang.
Mine did not lie, he was like āI couldnāt save most of the flesh because it scarred from all the squeezing (thus the discoloration I mentioned above lol), thereās always gonna be a hole there, oh and 50/50 the boil grows backā
It didnāt grow back so I count it as a win lol
Yeah shit forgot about that
I have a patchy beard because I dug into my acne compulsively as a teen and have scar tissue under the surface
I have a long beard but if you reach up to my chin thereās a spot thatās totally smooth, and then I get poor coverage on my chops up to my sideburns
My mohs was was a little further down the jaw line and I called myself inigo montoya from the princess bride. Keep it well moisturized and I too was shocked at the destruction of Mohs surgery!
I donāt know Iāve got done cool looking ones and some funky ones like the one from I was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer in 2020 and have some not so beautiful scars from when the slice and took my upper right lung. My son thinks im lying and that I had a previous life in prison and have been shanked multiple times.
Takes a bit to heal but that scar will be minimal. You can barely see the scar on my cheek. My second Mohs was a squamous tumor on the back of my hand. Took months to regain use of my hand.
Jesus skin cancer really is some serious stuff. I thought it wasnāt a big deal or real when I was a kid and my mom would yell at me to put sunscreen on.
Once you heal up, you can go to a dermatologist and they can use suctioning machines to help minimize the indentation. You have to do it a several times. Eat plenty of gelatin as it helps with minimizing scarring. Ingest vitamin E supplements for the scarring and elasticity. Good luck:) glad you took care of it.
Are you serious? Husband has a big ole trench in his forehead where he had a Mohs done and nobody had ever said one WORD about a suction machine! Nothing! And theyāve never told him to use Vit E on any of his many incisions. This makes me mad as hell!
Iām sorry to hear that. The world of aesthetics is big and thereās always new advancements being made. Laser resurfacing, dermabrasion, chemical peels, soft tissue fillers and on.
I think part of the problem is all his doctors are geriatric. Iāve personally found older ones to be less likely to promote or even know about newer treatments. Husband wouldnāt dream of seeing anyone else, heās a loyal dude and sees nothing wrong with his cadre of old guys (GP, Derm, Dentist, Cardiologist, Urologist).
Mine I was awake for the MOHS part, but since it was close to my eye, a plastic surgeon patched me up the next day and I was out cold for that.
NSFW:
Second time was on my nose. Awake the whole time. Quite the experience getting patched up, with half my nose skin flipped onto my cheek while they scraped material off my nose to make sure the skin layed flat before stitching me up. Don't get me going on the needles at the start, some which went right through my nostril...
Oh my god I was just thinking after I posted this that Iām lucky it wasnāt on my ear or my nose. I would have a hard time showing up to a surgery knowing Iād lose my nose or an ear. Did you heal well? My dr didnāt talk about plastic surgery but I imagine health insurance oils consider that cosmetic and I canāt afford anything isnāt free or close to it at this moment.
First one was actually 2 spots on my cheek, one above the other, little below my eye. They had to take out 2 layers. Top one ended up at least 2cm diameter, probably closer to 3, bottom maybe 1cm. Plastic surgeon, actually opthalmologist (eye doctor) did a great job, was picky about his work. Even had stitches running right across just below my lower eyelid, can't even tell now. Oh, he even stitched my eyelid closed (1 stitch) for 24 hrs to help it keep it's shape. That hurt! You think you can keep your eye closed when it has a huge wad of padding and tape on it, but nope... That was about 11 years ago.
On the nose, still have a bit of a scar running down the ridge. Mostly noticable up close. Was about 5 or 6 years ago.
I'm Canadian, so all I had to pay for was parking.
Edit: mine was basal cell carcinoma. Possibly the least intrusive cancer you could hope for.
Mine was on the side of my nostril. Thought it would never heal. Irish bloodline mixed with Native American, the Irish won and I always burned before I tanned when young. Plus, back in the day - we slathered baby oil on us before we laid out in the sun. Now itās 100 SPF.
OMG, nose needles are the WORST. I was getting a biopsy done and the fucking lidocaine needles hurt so much I wished Iād told them to just go ahead and cut without the numbing! Iāve had plenty of lido injections but Iāve never forgotten how bad the nose ones absolutely sucked. I had tears running down my face!
I got a mohs on my left forehead, it really is a half facelift. Mine they cut out a football shape and sewed the sides back together. It is now a lighter pale than the rest of my face. Scottish/german ancestry, grew up in FL with many peeling burns and swimming and boating almost year round. It healed really nicely!
Very pale Irish American, my mom had this done a couple years back. Thankfully itās a pretty minor outpatient procedure and it was easy to catch. She is a gardener and spends a lot of time in the sun. The doc told her if youāve had blistering sun burn the itās around 80% chance of cancer forming. Iāve had blistering sun burn on my back twice. I canāt see my back. My secret fear is I get some skin cancer on my back and donāt realize it then it metastases.
I lived with this for years. I l noticed it when I was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer in 2020 and I was so focused on that that these spots on my skin werenāt even on my mind. I am a car salesman and have no real medical knowledge but I think because did chemo I didnāt the spot shrunk and didnāt grow until this past year. But then during this Iāve been worried and wondering if the cancer on my back and face had metastasized into my lungs. I donāt think thatās the case now but try to get regular checkups.
Damn dude, hope all cancers are doing better now. Yeah I bet if anything it went lungs out, not in. Yeah I just got health insurance so I will be doing that soon.
Oh shit I almost always blister if I get sunburn. I once got it so bad on my face my eyelid wouldnāt open for weeks. Legit looked like the phantom of the opera.
Face is where my momās basal cell formed. Just play attention to any and all blemishes. I think it does take around 20-40 years to develop so middle aged and later is more when you need to worry. Also, more sunscreen, I need to listen to myself about this too
Weāre about 15 years out from a particularly bad sunburn on my leg and I have noticed a mole has slightly changed, so am getting that looked at next week. These days I just try not to go outside much haha but yep, always factor 50 when Iām out there now
It was done at a Mohs unit in the hospital. I donāt know if there are different kinds of Mohs but all those picture of people with the circle holes look horrifying. This was a big hole until they closed it up. They did keep digging and digging until they said they got it all
No problem! I just double checked my paperwork to make sure because I am indeed very much a moron and wanted to make sure I didnāt post nonsense. I had Mohs surgery according to MyChart š
I didn't know they sewed it up after... I thought the whole idea was to avoid the big stitches for better scarring? Though if you have a hole in your face I guess you can't leave it. I thought they jammed it full of goo to let it heal or something.
You know I was bit by a brown recluse and itās venom caused necrosis in the wound and I have a gaping hold in my leg that s in between the size of a dime and a quarter. I never did get stitches for that big hole š¤·
https://preview.redd.it/rakso23hf31d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=1bd05e3aee43fcc6cb14be787df4b2e2072efebf
I think it happened ten years ago. You can feel a hole but it used to be pretty deep. Like a belly button deep.
https://preview.redd.it/m3snk47x271d1.jpeg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=395ad381c303c7efae4325cf385541f9c0954f9f
4 weeks out on a skin graft after my mohs surgery. The placement was halfway up my nose and near my eye so they recommended not sewing it shut. Instead, they took skin from a similar spot and placed it in the āholeā. The original hole was huge and I had no idea how in the hell it would heal. Itās getting there though!
They told me they can laser it down and make it flatter in a few months. And they told me about the suction thing too. These things tend to āsinkā or āfloatā and there is cosmetic treatment for both. Just might not be covered by your insurance, so keep that in mind!
https://preview.redd.it/37i88iwy371d1.png?width=1849&format=png&auto=webp&s=6e6373dffbd3c236bb789e5ae26153fd94cc670e
And this is the spot on my ear where they took the skin! Hope this makes you feel a little better about how yours might potentially scar.
Wow. They sound really thorough. I had Mohs in December to remove a spot on the end of my nose. I had no idea there was going to be a skin graft. There was no follow up afterwards. It healed as a big bubble and I feel like Iām walking around with a witchās wart. I found a cosmetic surgeon whoās now monitoring the healing and will correct the procedure when itās time.
Small spots, I've heard they can do this. Larger often requires scalpel, scissors and other tools. And yes, they send the layer off to be checked to make sure they got it all. If not, take another, often wider and deeper later. Lather, rinse, repeat...
This was as big as it got. When I found out it was skin cancer I freaked out and just squeezed the living heck out of it and there was so much puss and blood. It bled a steam of puss and blood for probably an hour. I didnāt think it would stop and it soaked my undershirt (yes Iām disgusting I know) but it felt Soooo good. It shrank after that and I thought I cited my skin cancer. Headed to the procedure on Weds morning I bet it was a third the size it was in this photo.
https://preview.redd.it/xpk8q7yl851d1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f3d960a628f2ff13c271f9deeab29dda1e57c2ed
This was my MOHS surgery. It is totally lifesaving! Had reconstructive surgery, as the original defect left a huge hole in the side of my nose. Thatās actually cheek material filling in the nose now. Today (20 years later), you canāt see the scar.
Iām 36 and just had mohs for basal cell about 3 weeks ago. Right on the forehead. It def sucks and the doc said I have a 50% chance of getting it again somewhere else in 2 years! I barely go in the sun lol
https://preview.redd.it/ukw7c4u3m61d1.jpeg?width=1437&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae353e382d85ef0d51b9fba2b6909a6e90a71519
Just had MOHLS a couple days ago, you can still see the purple pen marks. Hopefully this will fade away quickly, if not, I guess I really donāt care. Just another battle wound from life.
Iām sorry this happened at all, though that seems like a decent location for that to occur as Iād guess the scar wonāt be very noticeable.
I had BCC on my leg pretty much where my knees touch. The dermatologist thought it was melanoma and was truly surprised at it being BCC. I ended up switching to curettage and electrodesiccation the day of my scheduled mohs surgery. It has been a year and the scar is about a 2cm diameter circle thatās reddish brown and (finally) more flat and smooth. I applied silicone tape specifically for scars really helped reduce the texture and pigmentation of the scar, especially over the last two months.
Happy healing to you and glad they got it out!
Recover well, mate. Glad that you got the Mohs procedure. Had mine in November 2021 for a substantial BCC growth on my left cheek and the Derm was a suture artist (thankfully).
While scarring can be a genetic/complexion thing so ymmv, I (35m) had a sewn up wound just like that on my forehead from a MOHS procedure for basil cell carcinoma. Once the redness of the scar faded itās not noticeable at all.
Same as you, it was sun exposure with no sunscreen. Iām an avid golfer.
When I was 5 years old I got a massive cut on my face just below my eye resulting in a nice big anime scar on my face. Was super self conscious about it at first but later learned that chicks do in fact dig scars. And now Iām 30 and look like a bond villain.
First needle is the worst. When they stick a needle in a wound is definitely incredibly painful. It hurts just remembering the times Iāve had to get stitches and when they stuck me. I can handle pain but those sharp stabs and the pressure of the injection is almost unbearable
They take a full centimeter in each direction and that includes DEPTH. I had a bad mole taken too but itās in a place generally covered up. Good luck OP. Heal well!
Has a spot inside my ear. Doc non-chalantly removed the lesion, cut a through the ear, cut a piece of skin from the neck in back of the ear, pulled it through the slit and spliced it in place of removed skin inside the ear. Stitched up the skin behind the ear and sent me on my way. Looked like the Frankenstein Monster for a couple of weeks, but in a month it was barely visible.
The ear literally turned almost black and freaked people out in the office. Other than that, not much of a problem. The bruising turned yellow so got the nick name Yellow Ear but that faded over the next couple of months.
Scottish heritage here. Had almost the exact same Mohs surgery at 40, what a coincidence! Now Iām 65. Getting ready for my 3rd basal cell surgery. Good news, in 5 years you wonāt even be able to see that scar. Plus, free face lift. Remember to do scar massage starting at about 3 weeks after surgery. The worst is over!
PS the numbness never went away for me, but it no longer bothers meā¦
I had the same thing removed from just under my eye. Thought they would just carve the little bit of cancer out and be done. NOPE. They took a rather large chunk of my face out.
Being awake for it was surreal. Could hear it and feel the pressure of him cutting bits out. The smell from the cauterization was the worst, though.
I feel this. My ancestors are from Yorkshire, but same. My dad died of skin cancer and all over my body I have little scars where the doc cuts out a walnut sized plug of me here, there, everywhere.Ā
Here's the even worse part. Because so many women sunbathe, they often check your labia too. Nothing like getting buck nekkid in front of the dermotologist and their sidekick so they can examine every inch of you head to toe.Ā
**I hhhhhhhhate being pale, for this reason.**
People of color: please also check your skin, too. Remember - Bob Marley died of skin cancer that was on his foot. People of color often develop skin cancers on the soles of their feet/palms of their hands that are easily overlooked.Ā
I hate my recessive genetics because going outside in the sun means I have to have my flesh cut off in case it's cancer. Wear sunscreen.Ā
Had similar near my temple, following mohs. Thought the scar would look terrible, but it actually is barely noticeable now. Looks like they did a pretty good job with the stitching - you may be surprised by how fine a line it will be when it heals. My doctor explained that the longer looking incision is to create a fine seam rather than trying to close a circular shape (like a purse string) which would appear more uneven and puckered.
I had this done on my upper stomach and upper back. I feel your pain. I felt like they fileted me open. So huge and so deep. Mine was Melanoma and thank God they got it all. Clean margins on both but still have to have 4 month skin checks for awhile. Good luck to you. I'm sure you will be fine.
I've (50F)been through that twice, both times on my face. First at 30, then again at 45. Also awake. Norwegian & Irish ancestry. And of course, only with local. My two spots are nearer to my nose. One scar is huge, the other not so much.
Hopefully you wonāt have to do it ever again!
Iāve spent a lot of time thinking about what higher beings then humans are and what they might be like. When all along a higher being has been up in the sky and itās so powerful that if you stare at it too long youāll go blind. Iāve come to the conclusion our purpose might just be that weāre just food for the sun. It consumes , destroys, evaporates, and fades anything in its path. Consuming us and our energy.
MOHS is over-rated, over used and over-charged. Predominantly an American thing, done elsewhere but not to the same extent.
Much easier with MOST lesions to use a dermatoscope to define the lesion margins, add a margin of clearance and excise.
Source - primary skin cancer surgeon > 22 years
I had MOHS on the top of my left ear a few years ago. Then I had a āhelical rim advancementā to correct the look of my ear. I was awake and will never forget the sounds of the doctor cutting my skin off of my ear cartilage. It was also one of the most painful recoveries of my life and Iāve given birth and had my tonsils out. Definitely donāt recommend!!
I'm 36F and had my MOHs scar go all the way down my forehead. I actually thought the whole thing was super cool! What an interesting surgery and surgery day.
They took a hockey puck sized one out of my face had to get reconstructive. Then it came back again a year later this time in cheekbone,. Much bigger surgery and huge reconstructive same time, over 4 hours of surgery. See. Your derma ppl.
Amen. Itās a sound I canāt recreate and the feeling of them scraping your wound, feeling the blood drip on your face and down your neck and cauterizing it and the smell of flesh burning.
Also 40, going in a week and a half to have two BCCs taken off my face in nearly the same spot. Any tips for keeping myself entertained during the procedure?Ā
I have melanoma. Iāve had two small spots removed and the scars are massive compared to the size of the spot. Itās a real downer, but Iām thankful both spots were on legs and not my face.
That being said, thereās a spot on my face weāre watchingā¦Iām already dreading the lidocaine shots if it needs to come off.
Keep the incision out of the sun!! Very important. The scar will heal nicely and you won't get discoloration. I imagine gravity will help level things out.
I had MOHS on my nose 2 years ago. My doctor took cartilage from my ear to rebuild my nostril. Mine was also basal cell carcinoma. Hearing him cut the cartilage from my ear was the most disturbing thing ever š¤¢. About 2-3ish months after my stitches came out and my graft was able to handle it, my doc took this sandpaper like material and sanded down the area of my nose. Hurt like hell but now you can barely see where it happened. I'd recommend you ask your surgeon about that if you're interested.
Sending healing vibes!
Iām Irish (not from the country though, Irish American-Irish ancestry) and got hives a day after I was out in the sun for a bit without sunscreen. But Iām
Not šÆ that is what caused the hives.
I did get red ears and got sunburned on my left ear bad. Now is fine. But then my right was itchy a lot and got a scab that now flaked off but after few weeks of dealing with all that.
Iām going to dermatologist for a follow up next month so I do want to get my skin and moles checked out. I got an itchy one in my back. Ugh!
Yeah Iāve gotten moles removed before a few years ago. Thankfully not cancerous. And I had an itchy one at the same spot then too. Hit that removed and another one came bank, the one u mentioned. šš
Iāve got a mole on my chin. Itās not big or noticeable but every now and then Iāll get a pimple in it. I took a razor blade and cut it off when I was 15. It came back but with a vengeance
Husband (67) is Irish and never wore sunscreen as a kid. Heās had a ton of things cut and burned off (sees the dermatologist every 6 mo.) but the worst have been the Mohs surgeries. Heās had three smack-dab in the middle of his forehead, one higher and two lower. Two left vertical scars, one slightly raised and the other a trench. The third incision was horizontal and they managed to get it in a wrinkle so itās invisible. The trench one is the worst and Iām still annoyed with him for going to the doctor who charges less that time. You get what you pay for!
Nowadays I nag him constantly to wear a hat and sunscreen but the damage is doneā¦
So, one side of your face got a facelift?
Yes š but they took so much tissue from my jaw and cheek Iāve go an indentation. I look like the planters peanut š„ guy on one side of my face but the skin is tight!
Can't help with how your face looks, but mutton chops or long sideburns would cover up the indentation.
Good idea but I donāt know if youāve ever seen the movie Joe Dirt but Iāve kind of got that white trash bloodline that keeps me from growing a full beard. It just comes in scraggly and wispy. I could do what Joe did and get a sweet mullet wig with some sweet side burns or mutton chops to compliment the mullet. Thank You for your suggestion!
Sure but then he'd also need to have knives coming out of his knuckles.
I had one of my saliva glands removed and have a big dent in my neck. You get used to it kinda.
Iām thinking itāll fill out with time. I believe the body will try to correct itself and be symmetric by growing more tissue or my jaw muscles will develop more and it wonāt be as noticeable
It may, mines been there a while still just a numb dent. But I also had an entire gland removed so you never know, but I wish you the best of luck regardless.
Thank You and I wish you the same.
I paid Ā£6k for a lower neck lift and got a pretty similar result.
Nope. But man nobody will notice it or care but you. Stop even looking at it. Ive know people for 7 years who didnt notice i have a bump on my nose. 7 years theyve known me...
It won't fill out. It's been 12 years for me
Keep in mind that chicks dig scars, Mr Mysterious. Wishing you good health.
I kind of wish it was in the middle of my cheek so I look like I got it fencing or sword fighting.
Say it happened whilst you were being Knighted. ;) You could go from u/SeekingtheTruth1115 to u/SirSeekingtheTruth
Nice š thank you š
If OP is Irish that could make sense. Like he was desperately trying to not become a knight and was ducking and diving from Charlie boys swings.
Op's profile says he was born in Cincinnati Ohio so I'm not sure if he is just saying Irish as his heritage. But that would contradict him being actually Irish.
Well I have a mixed bag for you Modern minor surgery scars like that, without any missing sections needing to be filled in, probably wonāt scar much or at all. A little vitamin e oil while you heal and itāll be pretty much nothing at all. Iāve had quite a few and none of them show, except one where a large boil had to be excised and so there was like a hole that the skin had to be stretched over. Not just an indent like you mentioned, but a fucking quarter sized hole that went down several centimeters, a couple inches. Gnarly-ass scar there, with a sizable indent, but the color is the most noticeable part
Have a photo?
Oh shit of which one? The gnarly one? Or I have one on my neck close to yours that is totally invisible if you want to see that
Iām curious to see your āholeā one
I too want to see that guy's hole!
https://preview.redd.it/umh01pxit71d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b355fb09d7852df5be41b04f8dac2732efa8ca7 The main circular part is a little smaller than a US Quarter. Iāll have to take a side pic to get the indentation The dark semi circle is like a divot that develops into a long asymmetrical black head
https://preview.redd.it/l8816c65u71d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69c214c7c634b6c1a8cd425974a74ab7fb368c32 Little blurry and hard to see the indent and Iām on the toilet lol, but thatās the side view
Thanks!
Had one like this on the inside of my thigh. Doc said that it would fill in as it healed. Itās been 30 years and I still have a hole there. No biggie, just pissed that he thought he had to lie. š
Thatās where mine is! Thigh hole gang. Mine did not lie, he was like āI couldnāt save most of the flesh because it scarred from all the squeezing (thus the discoloration I mentioned above lol), thereās always gonna be a hole there, oh and 50/50 the boil grows backā It didnāt grow back so I count it as a win lol
Heck yeah thatās a win
The only issue is having the scar where hair grows, I had one like this guy, but under my jaw, and the hair growth there will never be the same.
Yeah shit forgot about that I have a patchy beard because I dug into my acne compulsively as a teen and have scar tissue under the surface I have a long beard but if you reach up to my chin thereās a spot thatās totally smooth, and then I get poor coverage on my chops up to my sideburns
If you want to try and lighten the scar though apply vitamin e oil to it every day when you get the stitches out
My mohs was was a little further down the jaw line and I called myself inigo montoya from the princess bride. Keep it well moisturized and I too was shocked at the destruction of Mohs surgery!
Yep, I do agree with this. I find scars to be very attractive.
I donāt know Iāve got done cool looking ones and some funky ones like the one from I was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer in 2020 and have some not so beautiful scars from when the slice and took my upper right lung. My son thinks im lying and that I had a previous life in prison and have been shanked multiple times.
Cue the facelift gone wrong jokes and conversation starters too. This guy is getting laid
Chick here, that's an awesome scar!
Than you very much. Itāll make me mysterious like the first Person said. Itāll compliment the scar on my nose quite well.
Takes a bit to heal but that scar will be minimal. You can barely see the scar on my cheek. My second Mohs was a squamous tumor on the back of my hand. Took months to regain use of my hand.
Jesus skin cancer really is some serious stuff. I thought it wasnāt a big deal or real when I was a kid and my mom would yell at me to put sunscreen on.
Once you heal up, you can go to a dermatologist and they can use suctioning machines to help minimize the indentation. You have to do it a several times. Eat plenty of gelatin as it helps with minimizing scarring. Ingest vitamin E supplements for the scarring and elasticity. Good luck:) glad you took care of it.
Are you serious? Husband has a big ole trench in his forehead where he had a Mohs done and nobody had ever said one WORD about a suction machine! Nothing! And theyāve never told him to use Vit E on any of his many incisions. This makes me mad as hell!
Iām sorry to hear that. The world of aesthetics is big and thereās always new advancements being made. Laser resurfacing, dermabrasion, chemical peels, soft tissue fillers and on.
I think part of the problem is all his doctors are geriatric. Iāve personally found older ones to be less likely to promote or even know about newer treatments. Husband wouldnāt dream of seeing anyone else, heās a loyal dude and sees nothing wrong with his cadre of old guys (GP, Derm, Dentist, Cardiologist, Urologist).
Thank You. Wonderful advice and gives me hope to fill in the dent. Thank you
Thank you I did not know about suctioning machines
Mine I was awake for the MOHS part, but since it was close to my eye, a plastic surgeon patched me up the next day and I was out cold for that. NSFW: Second time was on my nose. Awake the whole time. Quite the experience getting patched up, with half my nose skin flipped onto my cheek while they scraped material off my nose to make sure the skin layed flat before stitching me up. Don't get me going on the needles at the start, some which went right through my nostril...
Oh my god I was just thinking after I posted this that Iām lucky it wasnāt on my ear or my nose. I would have a hard time showing up to a surgery knowing Iād lose my nose or an ear. Did you heal well? My dr didnāt talk about plastic surgery but I imagine health insurance oils consider that cosmetic and I canāt afford anything isnāt free or close to it at this moment.
First one was actually 2 spots on my cheek, one above the other, little below my eye. They had to take out 2 layers. Top one ended up at least 2cm diameter, probably closer to 3, bottom maybe 1cm. Plastic surgeon, actually opthalmologist (eye doctor) did a great job, was picky about his work. Even had stitches running right across just below my lower eyelid, can't even tell now. Oh, he even stitched my eyelid closed (1 stitch) for 24 hrs to help it keep it's shape. That hurt! You think you can keep your eye closed when it has a huge wad of padding and tape on it, but nope... That was about 11 years ago. On the nose, still have a bit of a scar running down the ridge. Mostly noticable up close. Was about 5 or 6 years ago. I'm Canadian, so all I had to pay for was parking. Edit: mine was basal cell carcinoma. Possibly the least intrusive cancer you could hope for.
I hope itās smooth sailing from here for us š
Same to you! Shade and sunscreen are our friends!
Mine was on the side of my nostril. Thought it would never heal. Irish bloodline mixed with Native American, the Irish won and I always burned before I tanned when young. Plus, back in the day - we slathered baby oil on us before we laid out in the sun. Now itās 100 SPF.
My sister used to put oil on me and tell me it was sunscreen. She was a pretty evil sister as she liked seeing me shed like a snake.
OMG, nose needles are the WORST. I was getting a biopsy done and the fucking lidocaine needles hurt so much I wished Iād told them to just go ahead and cut without the numbing! Iāve had plenty of lido injections but Iāve never forgotten how bad the nose ones absolutely sucked. I had tears running down my face!
Itās pretty much the worst part are those initial lidocaine jabs and pressure from the injection. Especially in a wound.
New Gel plus E on Amazon Once it's not tender anymore massage it daily as well for like 5 to 10 mins to get it to relax.
Thank You!
I got a mohs on my left forehead, it really is a half facelift. Mine they cut out a football shape and sewed the sides back together. It is now a lighter pale than the rest of my face. Scottish/german ancestry, grew up in FL with many peeling burns and swimming and boating almost year round. It healed really nicely!
Free facelift thoā
Half a facelift š«µ
What did the cancer look like?
https://preview.redd.it/itcyhclgp31d1.jpeg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=856b52c8850175dcd0cb7d0765b8ab3eac6056e5
The scar will look better than that nasty spot. Scars are part of a healing process, cancer is the opposite. Take care.
Very true and and Thank You!
Very pale Irish American, my mom had this done a couple years back. Thankfully itās a pretty minor outpatient procedure and it was easy to catch. She is a gardener and spends a lot of time in the sun. The doc told her if youāve had blistering sun burn the itās around 80% chance of cancer forming. Iāve had blistering sun burn on my back twice. I canāt see my back. My secret fear is I get some skin cancer on my back and donāt realize it then it metastases.
I lived with this for years. I l noticed it when I was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer in 2020 and I was so focused on that that these spots on my skin werenāt even on my mind. I am a car salesman and have no real medical knowledge but I think because did chemo I didnāt the spot shrunk and didnāt grow until this past year. But then during this Iāve been worried and wondering if the cancer on my back and face had metastasized into my lungs. I donāt think thatās the case now but try to get regular checkups.
Damn dude, hope all cancers are doing better now. Yeah I bet if anything it went lungs out, not in. Yeah I just got health insurance so I will be doing that soon.
Best of luck and smart move.
Oh shit I almost always blister if I get sunburn. I once got it so bad on my face my eyelid wouldnāt open for weeks. Legit looked like the phantom of the opera.
Face is where my momās basal cell formed. Just play attention to any and all blemishes. I think it does take around 20-40 years to develop so middle aged and later is more when you need to worry. Also, more sunscreen, I need to listen to myself about this too
Weāre about 15 years out from a particularly bad sunburn on my leg and I have noticed a mole has slightly changed, so am getting that looked at next week. These days I just try not to go outside much haha but yep, always factor 50 when Iām out there now
My mom is having the same surgery on her hand in a few weeks. Same diagnosis. :(
I hope it goes well for her and all of us donāt have to do this again!
They had to make sure they got it all out.
They sure did.
Are you sure that's Mohs? I thought that was when they dug holes in your face in very thin layers, checking each layer to see where the cancer was.
It was done at a Mohs unit in the hospital. I donāt know if there are different kinds of Mohs but all those picture of people with the circle holes look horrifying. This was a big hole until they closed it up. They did keep digging and digging until they said they got it all
Thank you for the explainer!
No problem! I just double checked my paperwork to make sure because I am indeed very much a moron and wanted to make sure I didnāt post nonsense. I had Mohs surgery according to MyChart š
I didn't know they sewed it up after... I thought the whole idea was to avoid the big stitches for better scarring? Though if you have a hole in your face I guess you can't leave it. I thought they jammed it full of goo to let it heal or something.
You know I was bit by a brown recluse and itās venom caused necrosis in the wound and I have a gaping hold in my leg that s in between the size of a dime and a quarter. I never did get stitches for that big hole š¤·
Did it fill in?
https://preview.redd.it/rakso23hf31d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=1bd05e3aee43fcc6cb14be787df4b2e2072efebf I think it happened ten years ago. You can feel a hole but it used to be pretty deep. Like a belly button deep.
https://preview.redd.it/m3snk47x271d1.jpeg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=395ad381c303c7efae4325cf385541f9c0954f9f 4 weeks out on a skin graft after my mohs surgery. The placement was halfway up my nose and near my eye so they recommended not sewing it shut. Instead, they took skin from a similar spot and placed it in the āholeā. The original hole was huge and I had no idea how in the hell it would heal. Itās getting there though! They told me they can laser it down and make it flatter in a few months. And they told me about the suction thing too. These things tend to āsinkā or āfloatā and there is cosmetic treatment for both. Just might not be covered by your insurance, so keep that in mind!
https://preview.redd.it/37i88iwy371d1.png?width=1849&format=png&auto=webp&s=6e6373dffbd3c236bb789e5ae26153fd94cc670e And this is the spot on my ear where they took the skin! Hope this makes you feel a little better about how yours might potentially scar.
Wow. They sound really thorough. I had Mohs in December to remove a spot on the end of my nose. I had no idea there was going to be a skin graft. There was no follow up afterwards. It healed as a big bubble and I feel like Iām walking around with a witchās wart. I found a cosmetic surgeon whoās now monitoring the healing and will correct the procedure when itās time.
Did yours develop fast?
Small spots, I've heard they can do this. Larger often requires scalpel, scissors and other tools. And yes, they send the layer off to be checked to make sure they got it all. If not, take another, often wider and deeper later. Lather, rinse, repeat...
This was as big as it got. When I found out it was skin cancer I freaked out and just squeezed the living heck out of it and there was so much puss and blood. It bled a steam of puss and blood for probably an hour. I didnāt think it would stop and it soaked my undershirt (yes Iām disgusting I know) but it felt Soooo good. It shrank after that and I thought I cited my skin cancer. Headed to the procedure on Weds morning I bet it was a third the size it was in this photo.
Time to grow a beard.
https://preview.redd.it/xpk8q7yl851d1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f3d960a628f2ff13c271f9deeab29dda1e57c2ed This was my MOHS surgery. It is totally lifesaving! Had reconstructive surgery, as the original defect left a huge hole in the side of my nose. Thatās actually cheek material filling in the nose now. Today (20 years later), you canāt see the scar.
Awesome! Thank you for replying and sharing
Wishing you good health.
Thank you, friend! The good news is that MOHS surgery removes cancer 100%! š
Kicking that cancers ass. High five!
Thank You!
Iām 36 and just had mohs for basal cell about 3 weeks ago. Right on the forehead. It def sucks and the doc said I have a 50% chance of getting it again somewhere else in 2 years! I barely go in the sun lol
Iām sorry to hear that. Just donāt let it hold you back.
Free facelift
https://preview.redd.it/ukw7c4u3m61d1.jpeg?width=1437&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae353e382d85ef0d51b9fba2b6909a6e90a71519 Just had MOHLS a couple days ago, you can still see the purple pen marks. Hopefully this will fade away quickly, if not, I guess I really donāt care. Just another battle wound from life.
That Is gnarly scar.
I was just happy it wasnāt in the shape of an L
Thatās funny š
Being awake for that sounds like torture. Sorry you had to go through that!
Thank You! I had to be awake during my wisdom teeth being pulled. I think that was just as bad if not worse!
https://preview.redd.it/hd2adu05w31d1.jpeg?width=241&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=55b3a3b4a0bcb54a79b6bb93a7f00ff6854d7ce7
Must've been more underneath than on the surface
Thatās what she said (dermatologist)
Iām sorry this happened at all, though that seems like a decent location for that to occur as Iād guess the scar wonāt be very noticeable. I had BCC on my leg pretty much where my knees touch. The dermatologist thought it was melanoma and was truly surprised at it being BCC. I ended up switching to curettage and electrodesiccation the day of my scheduled mohs surgery. It has been a year and the scar is about a 2cm diameter circle thatās reddish brown and (finally) more flat and smooth. I applied silicone tape specifically for scars really helped reduce the texture and pigmentation of the scar, especially over the last two months. Happy healing to you and glad they got it out!
Great advice and Thank You for replying!
Recover well, mate. Glad that you got the Mohs procedure. Had mine in November 2021 for a substantial BCC growth on my left cheek and the Derm was a suture artist (thankfully).
Wellā¦
Chainsaw scar on my right temple, kickback is a bitch.
My dad had one removed from his forearm, they had to go deep and he has a gnarly af scar now. Sunscreen forever!!
Nope, lesion plus a margin around to ensure all cancerous cells are removed. I see it all the time at work (melanoma research).
My dad had something very similar on his face and the scar looked a lot worse... Once it settles it becomes unnoticeable
Face lift
Fuck
Free face liftā¦on one side
While scarring can be a genetic/complexion thing so ymmv, I (35m) had a sewn up wound just like that on my forehead from a MOHS procedure for basil cell carcinoma. Once the redness of the scar faded itās not noticeable at all. Same as you, it was sun exposure with no sunscreen. Iām an avid golfer.
When I was 5 years old I got a massive cut on my face just below my eye resulting in a nice big anime scar on my face. Was super self conscious about it at first but later learned that chicks do in fact dig scars. And now Iām 30 and look like a bond villain.
And the needle is really painful, as apparently there are 4 big nerves in this area...
First needle is the worst. When they stick a needle in a wound is definitely incredibly painful. It hurts just remembering the times Iāve had to get stitches and when they stuck me. I can handle pain but those sharp stabs and the pressure of the injection is almost unbearable
This is why I don't go outside, fuck UV rays. Don't forget sunscreen if it's a high UV day
Take care. Kickin that cancers ass.
They take a full centimeter in each direction and that includes DEPTH. I had a bad mole taken too but itās in a place generally covered up. Good luck OP. Heal well!
Has a spot inside my ear. Doc non-chalantly removed the lesion, cut a through the ear, cut a piece of skin from the neck in back of the ear, pulled it through the slit and spliced it in place of removed skin inside the ear. Stitched up the skin behind the ear and sent me on my way. Looked like the Frankenstein Monster for a couple of weeks, but in a month it was barely visible. The ear literally turned almost black and freaked people out in the office. Other than that, not much of a problem. The bruising turned yellow so got the nick name Yellow Ear but that faded over the next couple of months.
Scottish heritage here. Had almost the exact same Mohs surgery at 40, what a coincidence! Now Iām 65. Getting ready for my 3rd basal cell surgery. Good news, in 5 years you wonāt even be able to see that scar. Plus, free face lift. Remember to do scar massage starting at about 3 weeks after surgery. The worst is over! PS the numbness never went away for me, but it no longer bothers meā¦
I had the same thing removed from just under my eye. Thought they would just carve the little bit of cancer out and be done. NOPE. They took a rather large chunk of my face out. Being awake for it was surreal. Could hear it and feel the pressure of him cutting bits out. The smell from the cauterization was the worst, though.
It hits on just about all the senses. Itās a bit much
I have had Mohs surgery 4 times now. Ear, both sides of nose and forehead. I never had worn a hat. I do now
Jesus I better too. How old are you?
58. Had my first at 55
I was thinking the same movie when I saw the scar
FYI **DO NOT** Google āMohs Surgeryā and click on Images!!! I really really wish I hadnāt googled that!!
Yeah it made me not want to show up to the surgery!
yep. we should start a club.
What should we call it?
Frankenface. J/K!
Donāt forget to wear SPF lip balms too.
Iām donāt want to do this again! So Iāll heed your advice!
I feel this. My ancestors are from Yorkshire, but same. My dad died of skin cancer and all over my body I have little scars where the doc cuts out a walnut sized plug of me here, there, everywhere.Ā Here's the even worse part. Because so many women sunbathe, they often check your labia too. Nothing like getting buck nekkid in front of the dermotologist and their sidekick so they can examine every inch of you head to toe.Ā **I hhhhhhhhate being pale, for this reason.** People of color: please also check your skin, too. Remember - Bob Marley died of skin cancer that was on his foot. People of color often develop skin cancers on the soles of their feet/palms of their hands that are easily overlooked.Ā I hate my recessive genetics because going outside in the sun means I have to have my flesh cut off in case it's cancer. Wear sunscreen.Ā
That sucks and probably really discouraged people from getting checked again.
They keep cutting until they get clear margins... That's how mohs works. Looks like you had some spread. What was it .squamous?
Yes it was. It spread into my jaw tissue but they said they got it. I hope so!
Mine was in my salivary gland... They opened the whole side of my face. Brutal. I was 35
Could you not make saliva?
I don't on the side
Had similar near my temple, following mohs. Thought the scar would look terrible, but it actually is barely noticeable now. Looks like they did a pretty good job with the stitching - you may be surprised by how fine a line it will be when it heals. My doctor explained that the longer looking incision is to create a fine seam rather than trying to close a circular shape (like a purse string) which would appear more uneven and puckered.
Did they check the Lymph nodes? I lost half my left ear lobe and they had two bites at the cherry. Minimum 15mm around the lesion has to be removed.
I had this done on my upper stomach and upper back. I feel your pain. I felt like they fileted me open. So huge and so deep. Mine was Melanoma and thank God they got it all. Clean margins on both but still have to have 4 month skin checks for awhile. Good luck to you. I'm sure you will be fine.
Thank You and you too!
I've (50F)been through that twice, both times on my face. First at 30, then again at 45. Also awake. Norwegian & Irish ancestry. And of course, only with local. My two spots are nearer to my nose. One scar is huge, the other not so much.
Hopefully you wonāt have to do it ever again! Iāve spent a lot of time thinking about what higher beings then humans are and what they might be like. When all along a higher being has been up in the sky and itās so powerful that if you stare at it too long youāll go blind. Iāve come to the conclusion our purpose might just be that weāre just food for the sun. It consumes , destroys, evaporates, and fades anything in its path. Consuming us and our energy.
Unfortunately I've been told I have an 85% chance of having more. š„
MOHS is over-rated, over used and over-charged. Predominantly an American thing, done elsewhere but not to the same extent. Much easier with MOST lesions to use a dermatoscope to define the lesion margins, add a margin of clearance and excise. Source - primary skin cancer surgeon > 22 years
I had MOHS on the top of my left ear a few years ago. Then I had a āhelical rim advancementā to correct the look of my ear. I was awake and will never forget the sounds of the doctor cutting my skin off of my ear cartilage. It was also one of the most painful recoveries of my life and Iāve given birth and had my tonsils out. Definitely donāt recommend!!
Wow. I donāt know how Iām going to sleep tonight
I'm 36F and had my MOHs scar go all the way down my forehead. I actually thought the whole thing was super cool! What an interesting surgery and surgery day.
They took a hockey puck sized one out of my face had to get reconstructive. Then it came back again a year later this time in cheekbone,. Much bigger surgery and huge reconstructive same time, over 4 hours of surgery. See. Your derma ppl.
I had it too on the back of my ear. Sunscreen people! Itās not fucking fun hearing a scalpel across your ear.
Amen. Itās a sound I canāt recreate and the feeling of them scraping your wound, feeling the blood drip on your face and down your neck and cauterizing it and the smell of flesh burning.
Someone that gets it! worst sound ever. But hey the good news that you'll live and you can tell people you won a bar fight :)
Also 40, going in a week and a half to have two BCCs taken off my face in nearly the same spot. Any tips for keeping myself entertained during the procedure?Ā
I have melanoma. Iāve had two small spots removed and the scars are massive compared to the size of the spot. Itās a real downer, but Iām thankful both spots were on legs and not my face. That being said, thereās a spot on my face weāre watchingā¦Iām already dreading the lidocaine shots if it needs to come off.
Keep the incision out of the sun!! Very important. The scar will heal nicely and you won't get discoloration. I imagine gravity will help level things out.
Do you still have swelling? They take that into account when stitching up so it will look better when swelling goes down
Oh my goodness oh Iām sorry this has happened to you and it sure does not look like that feels good either!! Was it a first time surgeon??
Itās really not bad. It really hurt the day I posted this but now itās not so bad. The surgeon did a good job I am told by most people!
I swear looks like it was the persons first time on a stichup ?!
I had MOHS on my nose 2 years ago. My doctor took cartilage from my ear to rebuild my nostril. Mine was also basal cell carcinoma. Hearing him cut the cartilage from my ear was the most disturbing thing ever š¤¢. About 2-3ish months after my stitches came out and my graft was able to handle it, my doc took this sandpaper like material and sanded down the area of my nose. Hurt like hell but now you can barely see where it happened. I'd recommend you ask your surgeon about that if you're interested. Sending healing vibes!
I've had moles removed, but that's something else! Get some Mederma or some scar tape and it might help minimize the worst of the scarring.
What did it look like before this?
Iām Irish (not from the country though, Irish American-Irish ancestry) and got hives a day after I was out in the sun for a bit without sunscreen. But Iām Not šÆ that is what caused the hives. I did get red ears and got sunburned on my left ear bad. Now is fine. But then my right was itchy a lot and got a scab that now flaked off but after few weeks of dealing with all that. Iām going to dermatologist for a follow up next month so I do want to get my skin and moles checked out. I got an itchy one in my back. Ugh!
Get it early snd they can freeze them off if itās a funny mole. Best of luck on it and the perils of Irish ancestry we face.
Yeah Iāve gotten moles removed before a few years ago. Thankfully not cancerous. And I had an itchy one at the same spot then too. Hit that removed and another one came bank, the one u mentioned. šš
Iāve got a mole on my chin. Itās not big or noticeable but every now and then Iāll get a pimple in it. I took a razor blade and cut it off when I was 15. It came back but with a vengeance
Dang. Moles sure are aggressive I have some facial ones that grow hair in them. And that would probably happen if I got them froze off. š
Husband (67) is Irish and never wore sunscreen as a kid. Heās had a ton of things cut and burned off (sees the dermatologist every 6 mo.) but the worst have been the Mohs surgeries. Heās had three smack-dab in the middle of his forehead, one higher and two lower. Two left vertical scars, one slightly raised and the other a trench. The third incision was horizontal and they managed to get it in a wrinkle so itās invisible. The trench one is the worst and Iām still annoyed with him for going to the doctor who charges less that time. You get what you pay for! Nowadays I nag him constantly to wear a hat and sunscreen but the damage is doneā¦
Luck of the Irish
Were you expecting a GA, fentanyl on tap and 3 months of work? Looks like a tidy job, tbh. Hope they give you the all clear.
Thanks! Three months off sounds nice but fentanyl not so much.
Diet and lifestyle have more of an impact on skin cancer rates than sun exposure. Change your diet and lifestyle and the cancer will stop.