dark skin

[fsuarez]

i have a small bump on the tip of my nose. some days it's very red, other days it's less red, and even other days it's almost the color of my skin. with close examination you can see a tiny whole/indentation in the center. it looks like a very swollen pore. and the skin in the center sometimes peels, which is when i find it becomes the most red.
at first i just thought it was acne, but after a few weeks of it not going away i went to see a dermatologist (this was 11 days ago). she said that it's possible that it could have started out as acne, but that it isn't anymore. however she really couldn't say what it was, though she was sure that it was benign. she injected some cortisone into it to to see if that would help the redness and told me to come back in a month. at that time she said we could discuss possible laser surgery. as for my questions...

1. what could cortisone do to help this? it is only the redness that it might help, or could it also possibly remove the bump in time?

2. two days ago some more skin peeled off of the center and that's when i noticed that the bump seemed to become even more swollen/larger and redder. it's been this way since. should i wait to see what happens, or should i make a sooner appointment with my doctor?

3. is laser the best way to remove this?

4. keeping in mind that i am Hispanic, what would be the best laser to use on this?

5. if i go through with the laser, should i have a dermatological surgeon or a plastic surgeon remove it?

i've never had anything like this on my body before, much less my face, and it's really been affecting me. i'd appreciate any advice you can give me. thank you so much.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

1. what could cortisone do to help this? it is only the redness that it might help, or could it also possibly remove the bump in time?

It might flatten it a little.  It also might cause an indentation that could last for a few months, so caution is advised.

2. two days ago some more skin peeled off of the center and that's when i noticed that the bump seemed to become even more swollen/larger and redder. it's been this way since. should i wait to see what happens, or should i make a sooner appointment with my doctor?

I think you should wait.

3. is laser the best way to remove this?

No, I don;t suggest you remove it at all.  I think you should leave alone in every respect for about 3 months.  There's a more than middling chance that it will go away by itself if ignored.

4. keeping in mind that i am Hispanic, what would be the best laser to use on this?

None.  Even if you were Caucasian.

5. if i go through with the laser, should i have a dermatological surgeon or a plastic surgeon remove it?

I really don't think you should.

Some things are best waited out.  It's hard, but it's best, especially on the nose, where you want to take no chances at all, of course.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[fsuarez]

okay so i woke up this morning to find the center of it bludging with some sort of white substance. i tried to pop it, but it won't budge. it seems to be very deep rooted. i'm very confused.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

That makes me think even more than it's an inflammation, not a growth.  It's best to leave it alone--no popping, etc.  Really.

Dr. Rockoff

[marymk]

Many years ago(20+) I had what I thought was a pimple on the bridge of my nose, that kept recurring. It always got very inflammed,red and with pus at times. I tended to make it worse by trying to pop it, that made it bleed. Sometimes it would help, but usually not. I finally got tired of it, and went to a derm. On my first visit, he took it off - I think with liquid nitrogen, but not sure. It was a long time ago, and I was young (about 21), so I didn't know what to ask about. My point is, I wish I knew exactly what I had, and if it was sent to pathology, and if it could have been treated another way, as I did end up with a scar - like a circular indentation. It has faded over the years, but still noticeable. I don't even remember going back for a re-check, but like I said, it was many years ago.

marymk