Squamous Cell Removal

[TexOkie Shaver]

I went to the derma couple of weeks ago, and she found a Squamous Cell Carcinoma on the top of my head. She sent me over to a MOHS Surgeon since there is so littl “meat” to work with up there.

The surgeon got it all in the first layer and the wound was about half an inch in diameter. Closing became an issue because at my age, the skin doesn’t stretch enough. So she cut about a 4” flap from my skull and stretched it to cover the flap area and the wound. It was like filleting a fish.

I was going to post a photo, but it would likely get the post deleted. Send me a PM if you want to see it. Be forewarned, it’s about 40 stitches and not pretty.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Prayers fpr your speedy and full recovery.

 

[Schnitzel52]

I’m praying for you too!
My wife and brother in law both have had this done. Squamous cells are nasty buggers! Blessings for a speedy recovery.

 

[SharpieB]

Get better.

That doesn’t sound like fun but if they caught it early, thats all that matters.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

I’ve got a great dermatologist and she looks me over every six months. She usually freezes off pre cancerous actinic keratosis. In the last two years she has spotted two Squamous Cell Carcinomas. I’m paying for all that sun I received as a kid.

 

[DaveHStone]

Prayers fpr your speedy and full recovery.

+1

 

[Cahoots]

Had one of those lopped off myself and a basil a year later. Only thing unique about mine is I was 45 at the time. My derm put the fear of God in me and I now wear sunscreen unless I’m in bed.

Not that it’s her fault, my mother couldn’t have slowed me down long enough anyway, in my childhood sunscreen was like deck stain, put it on once a season and you’re good to go!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

 

[SharpieB]

I’ve got a great dermatologist and she looks me over every six months. She usually freezes off pre cancerous actinic keratosis. In the last two years she has spotted two Squamous Cell Carcinomas. I’m paying for all that sun I received as a kid.

No surprises now which is good. If god forbid anything comes back, they will catch it quick. Almost a good thing to be checked every 6 months.

 

[TexLaw]

May your recovery be swift and smooth! Well done, getting that caught and cared for!

I go for skin checks every 6 months, myself. In the last few years, I've had a basal cell carcinoma and a mole removed (non-cancerous, but still of some concern). No squamous, yet, but I'll hardly be shocked if that happens. I'm not quite 50.

Yep, this is what you get when you grow up almost being proud of sunburn. One was encouraged to get a suntan by achieving a "healthy, red glow" from sun exposure. What we now call "sunblock" was called "suntan lotion." We -might- have put on SPF 4 if we thought we'd be out for a while, SPF 6 if we thought we'd be out for a while, and SPF 8 or 10 if we already had a sunburn. I don't recall anything stronger when I was a kid.

 

[Schnitzel52]

My wife’s skin doctor says that if skin cancer was a communicable disease like COVID it would be considered an epidemic in Colorado. We need to protect ourselves.

 

[RenoRichard]

I went to the derma couple of weeks ago, and she found a Squamous Cell Carcinoma on the top of my head. She sent me over to a MOHS Surgeon since there is so littl “meat” to work with up there.

The surgeon got it all in the first layer and the wound was about half an inch in diameter. Closing became an issue because at my age, the skin doesn’t stretch enough. So she cut about a 4” flap from my skull and stretched it to cover the flap area and the wound. It was like filleting a fish.

I was going to post a photo, but it would likely get the post deleted. Send me a PM if you want to see it. Be forewarned, it’s about 40 stitches and not pretty.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery! Those skull wounds are nasty; my Dad had all the different kinds of skin cancers over the decades before he passed, with a number on his head that required MOHS. My younger sister had a melanoma in her 30s, she's 62 now. Because of our family history, I've been seeing the dermatologist at least annually for a few decades. The worst I've ever had was a lower lip basal that was treated with the chemotherapy cream available now. It's awful stuff, but I think better than surgery. Surprisingly, despite having dozens of lesions that were frozen or treated, none have been on the part of my face that gets shaved regularly. Maybe our wet shaving routines affect our faces positively in this regard? I'll have to ask the doctor next time I'm in for a visit.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

Had one of those lopped off myself and a basil a year later. Only thing unique about mine is I was 45 at the time. My derm put the fear of God in me and I now wear sunscreen unless I’m in bed.

Not that it’s her fault, my mother couldn’t have slowed me down long enough anyway, in my childhood sunscreen was like deck stain, put it on once a season and you’re good to go!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

I’ve been looking for a combination sunscreen and moisturizer and I’m not encouraged by what I find. Do you use separate products, or do you use a combination moisturizer and sunscreen?

 

[Cahoots]

I’ve been looking for a combination sunscreen and moisturizer and I’m not encouraged by what I find. Do you use separate products, or do you use a combination moisturizer and sunscreen?

I use Elta Md (I may have just replied in another thread... may have been yours??), but I use it only for sunscreen. I'm right on the Gulf of Mexico where it's so humid we can chew the air most days so moisturizers aren't an issue for me so I can't speak to that. What I can speak to is Elta works as sun screen. Hands down. PM me if you want and I'll tell you what website you can buy from and what I use.

Best of Luck.
C.