To be really worried about spot on DD's scalp?

[Puddingfordinner]

She is 10. She said a few weeks ago she had a sore spot on her head. It was really tender and hurt when I brushed her hair. It started as just a small lump, not particularly red and no head on it. It's at the front of her head near her parting.

It eventually scabbed over. It's just a small lump now, no scab and doesn't hurt anymore but she has a small bald area around it.

So it seems to be healing but it's taking such a long time. And why has it caused a bald area?

She's a red head so yes I'm being really paranoid and worrying about skin cancer. She always wears a hat in the sun and spf. Never been sunburnt or anything but there have been times her head has
been exposed when swimming in the sea etc.
Also feeling more anxious as I wouldn't be able to see a doctor about it with the current situation.

Any ideas?

My daughter had somethingike this too, she is very blonde if that's relevant! It took forever to clear up, she is a picker though. I think something bit her.

Is there any chance that she could have been bitten by a tick? They often leave a bump where they were attached.

All of these are possibilities, I suppose. She's definitely not a picker though (hard to believe of a kid, I know). She's hurt herself before and had scabs literally hanging off her skin and not touched them (probably because I've told her picking can cause scars/infection etc).

It looks like ringworm to me. You could pop into a pharmacy and ask them to have a look.

Update - Dr thinks it's a fungal infection and has prescribed cream.

Have been using the cream a few days. It's not sore anymore but it still looks the same as the pic I posted. Just wondering how long it'll take to clear up. I've googled fungal infection on scalp and none of the pictures look like hers...

I'm just a bit paranoid about whether the Dr has diagnosed it right. I can be a bit OTT when it comes to health worries and the fact it was diagnosed via pictures (rather than in person) plus how difficult it is to get access to healthcare at the mo is meaning me feel a bit anxious.

Still worried here. Used cream for 2 weeks and it did nothing. The spot is still there. Sometimes it has a little yellow area like pus that later disappears, as though it's drained. Then the yellow area comes back again.

Sent pics to the Dr (different Dr to the one who prescribed the cream). He said he thinks it's a harmless mole. I said I really don't think it is - why would there be pus and hair loss?? He said he'll see if he can get hold of a dermatologist as he wasn't sure and that's the last I heard. And now the surgery will be shut til Tuesday.

I know I shouldn't Google but I have and now I'm so worried, I could cry. Any other people had similar experiences that turned out fine??

Has she felt ill? My son had shingles and had just a single spot on his head like that.

It could be fungal..maybe a different cream would give a better result.

I know its easy to say but try not to worry about it, it is more than likely nothing sinister - just something that needs to be blitzed.

A dermatologist referral would have probably taken a while to come through anyway, keep using the cream if you are able to after 2 weeks (you never know).

Try not to worry

Thank you, both. No, she's not been ill.

All the info I find about fungal infections usually show pics of the scalp with more than one area affected, a typical ringworm appearance and describe scaly or flaky skin. She's not had that.

I have private medical insurance with work. Is it worth contacting them? Can I do that with no referral? Would they be open over Easter?

I'm sorry to seem so panicked. It makes it harder that she's not actually been physically seen by a Dr - they can't really see it properly from my photos.

I had/have something very similar. I had it for a full year... It kept coming and going and scabbing over. It's left a kind of little crater now a couple of years later. I showed it to my doctor who said he wouldn't be worried about it but that if it didn't go away he could refer me to a dermatologist. That put my mind at ease and as I said, it's not scabbing over now but it has left a scar. He actually said that it would be highly unusual for a woman of my age (38 at the time) to get anything bad, so I wouldn't worry about your daughter who is so young

Thank you, drink. Did yours weep at all and did you have hair loss? Was it on your scalp?

Ringworm and some other fungal infections glow under UV light, so if you have a UV lamp of any kind have a look with the main light off.

I had asebsceous cyst that looked like that, with hair loss around it. It eventuss as ply grew large and a kind Gp removed it for me.

I don't have a UV light unfortunately.

@Haggisfish was yours ever painful?

You could try ringworm treatment for it and see if it makes a difference? I don't think it would do any harm and any pharmacy will sell cream for it. My DH actually has a small bald patch on his head from a ringworm infection as a child. But I don't know what it looked like when it was active.

Fungal infections though can take a long time to clear up. One of my DCs has this and I was warned it can take a long time to clear up.

The other option is phoning pharmacy and asking if you send a photo if they can advise? Sometimes pharmacists have more experience of seeing lots of minor skin things that people go to the chemist with asking for advice on creams. A pharmacist correctly diagnosed a skin complaint I had in my early 20s that I had been and forth to the GP with. It was quickly treated when correctly diagnosed.

But ringworm is probably the most "serious" thing it could be. Minor skin complaints are really common and most clear up themselves.

You can buy mini uv torches on ebay for next to nothing. I know you’ll have to wait a few days but it sounds like you’ll have to wait longer to see a dermatologist. Just a thought.

I had shingles in a similar place? And never felt ill - took ages to go away. It was the GP who realised it was shingles and then my son (who was only a baby at the time) caught chicken pox from me, which kind of confirmed it.

Thank you all. Pharmacist is a good shout.

Shingles- could that appear as just one spot though?

Yes it did weep, and then kept scabbing over. I did pick it though! Yes the hair on top of it fell out with the scab. It was on my scalp, on the top. I might actually get it checked out after Coronavirus. But I'm not worried as it's stopped weeping and scabbing. But it lasted at least a year, maybe 18 months!

Thanks @DrinkSangriaInThePark. Hope yours is ok.

All the descriptions I find of ringworm/fungal infections talk about sore, itchy patches which she doesn't have and the pictures don't look like hers. All the descriptions of skin cancers sound more like hers - 'a sore that wont heal' although I can't find much to explain the smooth bald area around it. I'm so frightened.

I occasionally get a spot of eczema on my scalp and it takes ages to go away even with steroid cream. Very sore and looks very much like the pictures you posted (although skin conditions are hard to recognise in a photo). But probably only relevant if your daughter has patches of eczema elsewhere.

No harm in asking your private health care if they can get you a dermatology referral.
Also sometimes you can get an initial private consultation (I think cost would be about £200, but check) and then get back into NHS once they’ve worked out what the next step is.

Might be good to set your mind at ease.

I had a weird spot on my hairline when I was 9 that my Dr dad thought was cancer. I got taken to a dermatologist and it was a strep infection (looks like this is the same as impetigo). Anyway, treatment then was iodine spray which fixed it quickly.

Thanks @CardsforKittens. She doesn't have eczema anywhere else. I know eczema is a horrid condition but I so want it to be something harmless like that.