Work after excision

Morning SS90  I am 73 and have had 2 of these bcc's removed on my face.  I like you, am very pale skinned but do take care in the sun, and never ever used a sun bed.  Luckily I was retired and it was nearing the end of Covid so could wear a mask.  Personally I dont think you should return to work straight way, due to infection and you will feel self concious how you look.  Is it going to be a big excision with a lot of stitches.  Mine did look a mess for a few weeks as had skin flap and skin graft. I use No 7 facial sun cream 365 days a year in my make uo routine, as wasadvised t do this by my plastic surgeon,  In the summer I use more, Factor 50 on arms and legs if on show and try and wear long sleeved clothing.  My first holiday after surgery was quite challenging and only go to Cornwall.  People dont realise how stressed we feel having had these bcc's. This group was so good when I was going through my treatment, always somene to help and support you.  Good Luck and let me know how it goes for you at the weekend and here any time you need help. xx

Thank you for your reply!

I am not sure how big the excision will be yet, when I last saw them they said they are unsure if I would need any skin grafts or not. When I saw them the affected area measured 8mm x 8mm. I have noticed that it has grown and is now slightly bigger than 1cm, but what I find the most worrying is that instead of being a scale raised patch like my last bcc, this one dips in massively, it looks like a scar already! It is right above my eyebrow, so I’m not sure if they would be able to pull this skin closed or not.

Thank you

I think you should take the time off work! I had a BSC removed from my face (also above my eyebrow, about 1cm in diameter) yesterday. I went straight back to work as I have a desk job and can work from home. But today I feel overwhelmed and I think I should have given myself more time. It's not just about protecting the wound, resting and managing any pain, but taking time to process what has happened, including what kind of wound I've ended up with and what kind of scar it will leave.

I'm 30, and share your struggle in terms of worrying about the future and wondering if I've done something wrong or if people are judging me for "not having looked after my skin". (I've had a very similar experience to you, it sounds,  with medical professionals commenting on how young I am to have this kind of skin cancer). I've worn copious amounts of sunscreen and hats my whole life. But I think it gets left out of the conversation about skin cancer that some of us just get unlucky! It's not your fault. 

So I think that's my long way of saying, you're not alone. I've found it helpful to talk to friends and family about these things, and I'll probably sign up for some counselling through work. Don't dismiss your feelings or be hard on yourself for finding this tough! I hope your procedure goes really well at the weekend and that you have a really good recovery (both physical and emotional).

Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement. I’m sorry to hear that you are also having a tough time. Wishing you a speedy recovery both physically and mentally. ️

Hi ss90.....   I had a BCC removed from my nose..   I was retired at the time but I been working ( nursing)  I'd have definitely taken time off work....  I wouldn't have gone back until it was well on the way to healing and I knew that they had got clear margins....  I think also you need time to recover emotionally as well. Its not just the physical.......    I've never been a sun worshipper and I still got one. I also have other suspicious areas and have been treated with effudex.  Apparently a lot of sun damage can happen in childhood and just through everyday life......   I think you'll find that once its removed and you start to heal you'll start to feel stronger emotionally... how you're feeling is normal and I coped by taking things a day at a time and allowing myself to feel however I felt on the day....   and not rushing things.   All we can do is take sensible precautions in the sun...   the surgeon did tell me that certain skin types are more at risk...    so please don't feel bad about how you're feeling. Take it a day at a time...  please let us know how you get on and ask us