Bump and Red Dot on Nose

I am 29, I have very fair skin, and I had an absolutely vicious second-degree sunburn when I was about 10 (horrible blisters all over my shoulders).

Last October, I went to the dermatologist for a spot on my temple that had been there for three years. He took a biopsy and it turned out to be basal-cell carcinoma. I had it removed a couple of weeks later via Mohs surgery.

I went for a follow-up visit and full-body exam in early December. During this visit, I notified the dermatologist of a red dot on my nose (to the left of the bridge, on the middle). It looked like a tiny blackhead that wouldn't heal (but it never bled or oozed), and I told him I'd noticed it for four weeks.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Actually, I think your dermatologist was quite right.  Most nasal bumps are just pimples or clogged pores, even in people who have had basal ell cancers.  The best approach in such cases is to wait.  Basal cells grow very slowly, so waiting a couple of months is not a bad thing, just as long as the spot gets looked at by then.  Taking a biopsy in December would have been poor judgment on two grounds: it would almost certainly have been negative and it may well have left a scar, because the nose is unforgiving.  My approach would have been the same--apply topical therapy and re-examine.  I understand your anxiety, but my advise would be to chill a bit longer, to absolutely not pick, rub, or examine the spot, and to show the doctor at your next appointment.  Of course, if you want to see someone sooner and are able to do this, fine, but it would also be OK to wait for the first dermatologist.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff