Small mark on my incision - Should I be worried?

Hey ladies,


Hope you are all well,


I don't know if any one of you remember, but early on into my recovery (about 2 weeks PO) one of my incisions had a teeny bit of bleeding/leakage. I went back to the clinic and was told to dab iodine on it twice a day and keep it covered. It soon healed up and the scar healed as normal.


However, 9 months down the line, both scars are settling, very smooth and fading (very slowly but surely). But where I had that initial teeny little wound, I have been left with a brown spot literally on the scar. To the eye, it looks just like a freckle or beauty spot, but it's only when I get a mirror and torch and have a real good close look I get paranoid about it. It's smooth to touch, but has the kind of glassy sheen to it that makes it look like a scab? I'm sure it's nothing other than damage/trauma to the skin which has left some kind of mark...but still...


I contacted the nurse from my surgery who was really vague, even when I sent her a pic of it. I said 'could it be a blood blister?' and she said 'probably, it should fade in time'.


Well it hasn't faded whatsoever in 9 months, and it never blistered in the first place which makes me think it's not a blood blister. In my paranoia I uploaded a pic to 'Real Self' and nearly all the surgeons said they couldn't tell from the pic. But one or two surgeons replied with all sorts of scary stuff such as;

• It may need to be biopsied , and excised and closed. IPL or bleaching may be effective as well, but a biopsy will allow for a diagnosis
  
• This might be prolonged iodine staining of the tissues, it makes sense to check with your GP to make sure it isn't something worse.  It may benefit from a trial of a skin bleaching cream or IPL to break up 
  

So yeah, that's made me even more nervous lol. To put my mind at ease, I've booked in with my GP for next Tues to check it out. The only female doc at my place is so stuck up though so I'm a little worried what she's going to say/do with her face when I explain I've had my boobs done... sigh.


Will let you guys know how I get on, but if you have heard or have anything similar it would be great to hear your thoughts. xxx


p.s This is the link https://www.realself.com/question/london-tx-dark-mark-incision-scar#2442676 if any wants to see the pic

Hmm, weird one blush.
To me it looks like a tiny mole/beauty spot. I guess the best evaluation could be done by a doctor actually examining it. Your scars look freaking amazing btw! Let us know how you get on at the docs, you never know, the lady doc may turn out to be a lovely doc...who has had her boobies done too!!!   ..Maybe! lol

I have a tiny brown kind of stain on my inciscion that freaked me out for ages. Untill I looked at old pics and realised that my surgeon had basically cut through a mole!!? WTH?
It was a flat superficial mole but still, leave my moles alone man!

Hope you get sorted anyways. Keep us posted. xx

Hey hun,

Yeah I wondered if it was a mole/beauty spot too but then I looked at my before pics and it deff wasn't there before!! The pic makes it look worse than it is cos it's so close up and I had the flash on, but honestly, it's no bigger than a freckle or mole really.

Haha I've been to this female doc before about recurring ulcers and she was useless! She was really patronising, so I'm dreading what her reaction is gonna be when I get my big fake boobies out for her!! 

She's the only female doc though so I'm just gonna have to suck it up!

That's interesting about your own mole!! 

Thanks for the scar comment, they are healing ok but the pic I have uploaded is the boob where the scars are worse. My good boob the scars are much better (pretty much faded) and that boob is the softer one!

xxx

I no this is something totally different but could be the same sort of thing. I knew a lady who had sculpture in her cheeks ( like Botox but they use a different solution) she had a mole like turn up because of the scar from the injections. It looked very much like your one. Let's hope it's nothing and the doc says the same. Your scars look great xx

Hmm, it's tricky to tell from the pic. If it's a blood blister, it should have dropped off by now really (i have one on my hand at the mo, picking it like crazy!). I think you're right to see a gp and get it double checked. But if this Dr is a moo, maybe see if you can see someone else. They have a duty of care to provide you with a chaperone if you are concerned about getting them out for a male dr, but if that's going to get you a better diagnosis, it might be worth it.

Thanks for your replies ladies,

I'm going to get it checked in the morning so will let you know how I get on. I have to say, standing in the mirror this morning I did wonder if I'm going to be wasting the docs time. It's literally the size of a freckle (that pic was such a close up it makes it look much bigger than it is) and I'm sure whatever it is is harmless. 

Guess it's best to be be on safe side and get a second opinion, even if the doc is a cow bag! xxx

Had my appointment and luckily there was a new female doc in town!

She was absolutely lovely. She took a look at the mark and said she is 90% sure it's a mole. It's very unusual though given it wasn't there before (I'm 99% sure it wasnt but now starting to doubt myself), and even if it wasnt there, why would she cut through it?

She thinks because it's so smooth and not giving me any trouble it's very likely to just be a mole. However to be on the safe side, I've got a hospital appointment with the mole specialist next week to double check. Sigh!

Other than that, she said carry on with the vitamin E oil (which she says is amazing for scars) and then commented on what a good job my surgeon had done. She said the scars were really neat and had healed amazingly. So pleased with that!

Hopefully this 'mole' is nothing to worry about. Although I am annoyed the nurse at my surgery said it was a blood blister, when I told the GP that she was like 'erm, no, not at all...' so bit worrying the nurse said that!

xx

Glad you went and got it checked with a female doc. That's good as well that you got to see the mole specialist next week. Xxx

This is something totally different but.... When I was a wee nipper I got a blood blister on the soft fleshy part of my palm, this then turned into a mole and 30 odd years later it is still there. Maybe it was a blood blister that didn't blister?
Best of luck with the specialist and hope all is fine xx

Hmm that's interesting [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]! Thanks for your message.

Tbh I'm not convinced it's a mole. It looks like one, sure, but the doc didnt use a light or anything she just had a quick look and said she thinks it's a mole. It's when I get my phone flash on it I can see it's not! Plus I know I didnt have a mole there before...

I'm convinced it's just some kind of damage/trauma to the skin from being cut open and the skin has never recovered. It doesnt bother me as it looks so much like a freckle/mole, but still interested to hear what this mole specialist will have to say! xx

MMM, well Good Luck with the proffesionals, least there not just fobbing you off I guess.

Hi blush !

I know we talked about it as I have exactly the same thing but I can't remember if I told you what my PS had said? Definitely wasn't there before and appeared after surgery on the scar and he said it was very unusual but was indeed just a mole... let me know what mole specialists say !
xxxx

When is your appointment with the mole specialist? Xx

It's on Weds so a while away yet, but will let you know what he says.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] No I dont think we did catch up on what he said! How funny we have the exact same thing! Hopefully it is just a mole then...!? xxx

Hey ladies, 

Me again banging on about this mark! 

So I went to see the mole specialist today and was literally in and out within about 5 mins. She did raise her eyebrows and scribble furiously when I started the conversation with 'So I've had my boobs done...' Why are some people so weird about it!?

Anyway. She had a quick look at me and within seconds said she thinks its just a mole. Sometimes they can just pop up, and it's not uncommon to happen following 'trauma' which is why it's sitting on my scar. I said it really wasnt bothering me as it's so small and looks like a freckle, so she said she wouldnt try and and remove it (plus she'd be reluctant go given it's on my scar!).

All in all I've got to keep an eye on it for any changes to shape, size texture and come back in 6 months for one last check in. But she is 100% it's just a mole. So happy days! 

xx

Ahh that's good news. How strange for it to just appear, buy, I have loads of flat moles on my stomach and back area, and they do just pop up so quickly!
 When I saw my pre-op pics yesterday I noticed that the mark on my incision was definitely a mole and he did indeed cut through when creating my crease. He mentioned it actally! 

Glad ur mind is at rest anyway.

Good news xxx at least we all know now that they can just appear. X

That's excellent news. Xxx

That's great news! 

xx

Thanks lovely ladies. It just goes to show why 'self diagnosing' is never a good idea! All them surgeons on Real Self were saying all sorts of scary things, and it's just a mole after all that!

Phew! :) xxx

Yay good news