GP appt today for weird skin growth: scared :(

[HepburnKNotA]

I’ve got an appointment early afternoon and I’m just getting nothing done at work, I can’t concentrate.

I have found a weird tiny skin growth (on the side of one boob!) that has definitely grown. I felt it first a few months ago and it felt like a teeny weeny scab. Now it’s bigger, about 2mm or 3mm, and sticking up more. It looks a bit like a seborrhoeic wart (lovely) like I already have on my chest, but that one just popped up years ago and has never changed or grown. (Saw a derm about that one years ago).

I’m kicking myself because I have ‘that’ type of skin, tonnes of small moles, a few skin tags, loads of horrible cherry-red dots, and until DD was born 6 years ago I would get a yearly check. I’ve let that slide and now I’m panicking about this horrible looking new growth and worrying it’s something bad.

Don’t know why I’m posting really! Just to get the worry out there 😔 in case I feel any calmer!!

Good luck op, it sounds just like one of your other harmless skin issues so try not to worry too much.

Thank you Buster very very much appreciate your taking the time to post!! I know I’m being silly.

You're not being silly, I had a weird thing up my nose that kept reappearing, I went to the doc about it but before then I kept worrying that I'd have to get my nose chopped off, have facial surgery etc. turned out to be a skin infection that needed some antibiotic cream. Our minds can be our own worse enemy! I also had a mole removed from my back, and I got all worried about that, but the results came back completely fine.

Try not to worry, it could be actinic keratosis - usually flesh coloured and scaly but do grow. They are easy to chop off but aren’t cancerous. I get these because like you I have dodgy skin but I was told by my dermatologist that, if I left it alone for 10 years then 5% would turn into squamous cell carcinoma but in the short to medium term they are not considered dangerous.

Good luck, have been in your shoes and it’s hard. I’ve had 4 or 5 chopped off now and I now view the appearance of a new one as a nuisance.
Feel free to message me if it turns out to be AK as I’ve had various treatments and have opinions as to which I’ve found most effective / cosmetically better.

It's most probably another sebhorreic keratosis, once you've got one, more usually pop up. ( I've got loads, but I'm 72). Try not to worry, I'm sure your GP will put your mind to rest.

Skin is just about the best possible place to have anything weird happening, as it's super easy to sort out.

Definitely book in for the annual review though - include the kid(s) if there's anything heritable there.

Try not to panic OP, you said yourself you have 'that' type of skin so I think it's probably more likely to be something harmless. I know it's scary and a big worry though, it's natural to feel very nervous. As PP poster said, definitely time to get back to your annual checks. Good luck!

Thanks so much all!

Huge relief, just out of GP and it was only a blooming ingrown hair! Scabbed over and gone all keratin-y (if that makes sense!!) but that’s all!

So relieved.

And a big kick up the bum to book a yearly check. Going home to arrange it now.

Thanks for the suppprt everyone, massive help x

Well done op. What a relief! Time to treat yourself to something nice. (Wine, magazine, chocolate??)

@HepburnKNotA glad it turned out well! Do you mind if I ask where you get your yearly checks done? It’s the kind of thing I really should be doing.