Could your tiny pimple actually be cancer? A top dermatologist explains
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Skin blemishes are often dismissed as harmless—just another hormonal flare-up or stubborn pimple.
But sometimes, the signs your body is giving you are far more serious than they appear.
One dermatologist's warning has sparked widespread concern, shedding light on a surprising symptom that too many people overlook.
A leading dermatologist issued a warning about a subtle but serious sign of cancer that many people wrongly assumed was just a pimple or hormonal blemish.
Dr Daniel Sugai, a Harvard-trained expert, explained in a viral video that the most common type of skin cancer—basal cell carcinoma (BCC)—can often go unnoticed due to its deceptive appearance.
‘It does not have to be an obvious growth on the face,’ he said in the video shared to social media, which attracted more than 134,000 views.
He explained that BCC could appear as a persistent sore, a bump, or even a flat patch of scaly skin that never fully heals.
One red flag, he added, is a recurring cycle of bleeding and scabbing, especially when washing your face.
‘A complaint I hear patients say is that "I just washed my face and there's this one spot that keeps bleeding", and it does this bleed-scab cycle,’ he said.
‘So if you have a spot that's not fully healing or is very fragile with gentle trauma like washing your face, definitely see your dermatologist.’
According to Dr Sugai, BCCs are fragile tumours that often develop their own blood supply, making them more prone to bleeding.
He also advised viewers not to ignore any ‘pimple’ that lingers longer than four weeks.
While a regular blemish typically disappears within a week, a cancerous spot does not heal on its own.
He added that for people with darker skin, BCCs might present as bumps that darken over time and differ in colour from the surrounding area.
‘For my patients who have skin of colour, I will find a pigmented basal cell most commonly and it's usually hyperpigmented with some red mixed in,’ he said.
‘And with time it will start to bleed easily.’
Dr Sugai used a dermatoscope to highlight a particularly deceptive case—a tiny spot on the lip that turned out to be skin cancer.
‘This tiny spot on the lip was skin cancer and most people would have ignored it because it's flat and wasn't bleeding,’ he said.
‘I looked up close and I was able to see these concerning features. There's tree-like blood vessels and I can see some small scarring.’
‘I took a biopsy of it and it turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma. I diagnose these everyday and I actually treat them surgically everyday.’
The top dermatologist stressed the importance of sun safety, particularly in early life.
‘People don't realise that the first 20 years of life is so important in terms of sun protection, because getting those sunburns early on in life will definitely affect how healthy your DNA is later on in life,’ he said.
‘If you're starting late in the sunscreen game, it's never too late. Keep wearing your sunscreen because we don't want to overwhelm our skin with DNA mutations that are induced from the sun.’
Research has shown that just five sunburns are enough to significantly raise the risk of developing skin cancer.
Cancer Research has reported that 90 per cent of skin cancer cases in the UK are directly caused by sunburn or the use of sunbeds.
Each year, around 75,000 people are diagnosed with BCC, making up approximately 70 per cent of all skin cancer cases.
While BCC is far less deadly than melanoma and generally slow-growing, treatment often involves invasive procedures that can leave visible scarring.
The UVB rays that damage the epidermis and the UVA rays that penetrate deeper into the skin are both responsible for causing skin cancer.
Watch the full video below.
Source: Instagram/danielsugaimd
In a previous story, we shared how a routine check-up revealed a life-changing diagnosis for a single mum.
It’s a powerful reminder to never overlook the small signs your body might be sending.
Read on to discover why paying attention could make all the difference.
Could this common spot on your skin be something more serious than you think? Share your experiences or thoughts in the comments below.
But sometimes, the signs your body is giving you are far more serious than they appear.
One dermatologist's warning has sparked widespread concern, shedding light on a surprising symptom that too many people overlook.
A leading dermatologist issued a warning about a subtle but serious sign of cancer that many people wrongly assumed was just a pimple or hormonal blemish.
Dr Daniel Sugai, a Harvard-trained expert, explained in a viral video that the most common type of skin cancer—basal cell carcinoma (BCC)—can often go unnoticed due to its deceptive appearance.
‘It does not have to be an obvious growth on the face,’ he said in the video shared to social media, which attracted more than 134,000 views.
Dermatologist warns about hidden signs of skin cancer. Image source: Instagram/danielsugaimd
He explained that BCC could appear as a persistent sore, a bump, or even a flat patch of scaly skin that never fully heals.
One red flag, he added, is a recurring cycle of bleeding and scabbing, especially when washing your face.
‘A complaint I hear patients say is that "I just washed my face and there's this one spot that keeps bleeding", and it does this bleed-scab cycle,’ he said.
‘So if you have a spot that's not fully healing or is very fragile with gentle trauma like washing your face, definitely see your dermatologist.’
According to Dr Sugai, BCCs are fragile tumours that often develop their own blood supply, making them more prone to bleeding.
He also advised viewers not to ignore any ‘pimple’ that lingers longer than four weeks.
While a regular blemish typically disappears within a week, a cancerous spot does not heal on its own.
He added that for people with darker skin, BCCs might present as bumps that darken over time and differ in colour from the surrounding area.
‘For my patients who have skin of colour, I will find a pigmented basal cell most commonly and it's usually hyperpigmented with some red mixed in,’ he said.
‘And with time it will start to bleed easily.’
Dr Sugai used a dermatoscope to highlight a particularly deceptive case—a tiny spot on the lip that turned out to be skin cancer.
‘This tiny spot on the lip was skin cancer and most people would have ignored it because it's flat and wasn't bleeding,’ he said.
‘I looked up close and I was able to see these concerning features. There's tree-like blood vessels and I can see some small scarring.’
‘I took a biopsy of it and it turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma. I diagnose these everyday and I actually treat them surgically everyday.’
The top dermatologist stressed the importance of sun safety, particularly in early life.
‘People don't realise that the first 20 years of life is so important in terms of sun protection, because getting those sunburns early on in life will definitely affect how healthy your DNA is later on in life,’ he said.
‘If you're starting late in the sunscreen game, it's never too late. Keep wearing your sunscreen because we don't want to overwhelm our skin with DNA mutations that are induced from the sun.’
Research has shown that just five sunburns are enough to significantly raise the risk of developing skin cancer.
Cancer Research has reported that 90 per cent of skin cancer cases in the UK are directly caused by sunburn or the use of sunbeds.
Each year, around 75,000 people are diagnosed with BCC, making up approximately 70 per cent of all skin cancer cases.
While BCC is far less deadly than melanoma and generally slow-growing, treatment often involves invasive procedures that can leave visible scarring.
The UVB rays that damage the epidermis and the UVA rays that penetrate deeper into the skin are both responsible for causing skin cancer.
Watch the full video below.
Source: Instagram/danielsugaimd
In a previous story, we shared how a routine check-up revealed a life-changing diagnosis for a single mum.
It’s a powerful reminder to never overlook the small signs your body might be sending.
Read on to discover why paying attention could make all the difference.
Could this common spot on your skin be something more serious than you think? Share your experiences or thoughts in the comments below.
