Woman left with hole in chin after dismissing sign of cancer as blackhead

(Representational image)

New Delhi: Waving off a lump on her chin as a blackhead, a 35-year-old woman is now left with a gaping hole, the size of a two-pence piece on the spot.

Kari Cummins saw a dermatologist after years of over exposing her skin to sunlight and tanning beds.

However, despite noticing a strange growth on her skin, she dismissed it as a spot. Numerous tests revealed the truth – she had squamous cell carcinoma; a type of skin cancer that can spread to the organs if untreated.

While the growth was removed successfully, Cummins was left with a hole on her chin that reqired 35 stitches.

As per the Daily Mail, Cummins, a stay-at-home mother said, 'I have always had clear skin so I did think that the spot was slightly unusual.

'I assumed it was a blackhead or a weird type of adult acne, as I hadn't seen anything like that before.

'I have fair skin, and I did use tanning beds in my twenties and early thirties to get a base tan before going on holiday.

'I wasn't a frequent user, and only used them occasionally, but I've learnt that it doesn't take much for the UV rays to accelerate the growth of the carcinoma, especially if you have fair skin.

'If I hadn't of had it removed when I did, then the chances are it would have grown larger and deeper into the tissue and could have spread.

She further expressed that she wants to use her experiences to share her story in the hope of urging others that it is so important to look after your skin.

Cummins has since noticed a few more raised lumps on her forehead and, after further testing, it was confirmed these too will have to be removed, Daily Mail reported.