Skin Cancer is not just for old folks

So I had a spot on my temple for a year or so. I asked my OB about it and she referred me to a dermatologist. I went and she removed it. It came back as a basal cell carcinoma. I have family history, am fair skinned, and used tanning beds at age 17. I burn easily, and unfortunately fairly often. So lucky me. So anyway, I thought I would use this as an opportunity to educate others. She said that for the most part we make our moles before age 30 and that as long as they look like all your other ones its not a big deal. If they begin to change and grow have them looked at. This one of mine didn't look like anything else I had.


This is the spot on my temple.




I had it removed and am apparently rough on my face. I popped two stitches in 6 days. I called and they said put on a steri-strip which is like sticky tape. I guess I was allergic to the adhesive, because I swelled up. Which made the incision pull apart more. Such luck. It looks nasty and I am going to have a scar. The picture is not so cool so click here for it if you really want to see it.



I also thought I would post the skin pamplet that they gave me.