News
A Dermatologist's Instagram Post on Spotting Basal Cell Carcinoma
A viral Instagram reel from a dermatologist shows what basal cell carcinoma looks like, including on darker skin. The post checks out — here's the fuller picture and what to do next.
Original commentary from the Cancer Explained editorial team.
Please note: this page is educational only — it is not medical advice, and it does not speculate about anyone’s health beyond reliable public reporting. For questions about your own health, talk with your healthcare team.
“These are all examples of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) skin cancer. It most often appears like a pearly pink pimple that grows and sometimes bleeds. It can also appear like an eczema patch that never goes away. In darker skin types BCC can appear dark brown or even blue/black. Whenever you have a skin spot that's new in the last 6 weeks and won't go away, grows or bleeds- get it checked out. Follow if you want to be able to identify skin cancer early”
Nothing has loaded from Instagram. We do not connect you to Meta unless you ask, because that would let them set cookies through this page. Open it on Instagram instead.
A dermatologist who posts as @abby.waldmanmd shared a reel of photos of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). It shows the pearly bump that looks like a pimple, grows and sometimes bleeds. It shows a patch that looks like eczema but never clears up. And on darker skin, it shows spots that can look dark brown or even blue-black instead of pink. Her advice: get a spot checked if it is new in the last six weeks and won't go away, grows or bleeds.
This is one of the more useful skin posts to cross a feed. We didn't check it to find a problem. We checked it because it's the kind of specific, visual claim we review before we repeat it. It holds up. Here's the fuller picture.
What the post gets right
BCC is the most common skin cancer in the United States. Its most common early signs look more like "a pimple that won't heal" than a scary, odd-shaped mole. That picture of a mole fits melanoma better. Melanoma is much less common, but more dangerous, because it spreads.
BCC almost never spreads to other parts of the body. But if it's left alone, it keeps growing where it is. It can grow into the skin and sometimes deeper. So "it's probably nothing" is the wrong instinct, even though "this probably won't kill me" is usually true. For more on how BCC is found and treated, see our basal and squamous cell skin cancer guide.
The point about darker skin is real and worth taking seriously. Published skin research finds that more than half of BCCs in non-white patients are pigmented, meaning dark in color. In white patients, the figure is about 5%. Heavily pigmented BCCs are several times more common in people with skin of color.
The classic "pearly, see-through" look of BCC was learned almost entirely from studies of lighter skin. That gap in the research has been linked to later diagnosis. Dark color can hide the see-through look and the small blood vessels doctors are trained to spot. So in people with darker skin, a pigmented BCC is more often mistaken for a mole, a scar or a harmless growth. Our guide to skin cancer in people of color covers the bigger pattern. That includes how melanoma can show up in different places on darker skin.
What the post can't tell you
A 15-second video or a grid of photos cannot diagnose your spot. BCC has real look-alikes. They include eczema, a harmless mole, a scar and other harmless growths. On darker skin, other dark spots can look so much like it that even skin doctors can't tell at a glance. The only way to know is an in-person exam. If it's unclear, a doctor may take a small sample of skin to test, called a biopsy. Comparing your skin to Instagram photos can help you decide to make an appointment. It is not a way to rule a spot out.
The "six weeks" in the post is a useful rule of thumb. It is not a strict medical cutoff. Many BCCs grow more slowly than that. A spot that has been there longer than six weeks is not safe to ignore just because of its age.
What to do with this
You may have a spot that's new, growing, bleeding or not healing the way a scrape or pimple should. If so, see a dermatologist instead of trying to match it to a photo. That's true if the spot is pink and pearly. It's also true if it's brown or blue-black, especially if you have darker skin. Our guide to the diagnosis process covers what an exam and biopsy usually involve. Our page on treatment options covers what usually happens next. For most people whose BCC is found early, that is one short procedure without a hospital stay.
Sources
- National Cancer Institute, "Skin Cancer (Including Melanoma)": cancer.gov
- "Basal cell carcinoma in dark skin: clinical and dermoscopy features," Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia: PMC
- "Clinical and Dermoscopic Patterns of Basal Cell Carcinoma and Its Mimickers in Skin of Color: A Practical Summary": PMC
- Cancer Explained, "Basal and Squamous Cell Skin Cancer: Patient Guide": /articles/basal-cell-and-squamous-cell-skin-cancer/
How this article was prepared
An AI-assisted editorial system helped prepare this page. It used National Cancer Institute guidance. It also used published skin research on how basal cell carcinoma looks on skin of color. No named medical reviewer has reviewed it unless one is listed.
Cancer Explained is published by the National Cancer Information Foundation. It is not medical advice and does not suggest a test or treatment.
See an error, old source, or unclear wording? Tell us.
Know someone who needs this?
Plenty of people are looking for something like this and do not know where to start. If this would help a friend or someone you love, send it on — we have written an opening line so you do not have to stare at an empty message. You can change every word of it.
Your message is written and sent in your own email or messaging app — we never see who you send it to, and nothing is added to any list.
Put the story in context
Prevention, possible warning signs, screening, and diagnosis
This story relates to skin. The information below is general: it does not reveal anything else about a public person’s health, and not every point applies to every cancer. Personal advice depends on age, symptoms, family history, exposures, and medical history.
Prevention and risk reduction
Not every cancer can be prevented. Avoiding tobacco, protecting skin from ultraviolet radiation, limiting alcohol, staying active, and receiving recommended HPV or hepatitis B vaccination can lower the risk of certain cancers. A risk factor is not a prediction or a cause in one individual.
Symptoms and possible early signs
Possible signs vary and are often caused by conditions other than cancer. Changes worth discussing include a new lump, unexplained bleeding or weight loss, a persistent cough, lasting bowel or bladder changes, a changing skin spot, or symptoms that persist or worsen. Some early cancers cause no symptoms.
Screening and early detection
Screening looks for certain cancers before symptoms begin. Recommended tests exist only for some cancers and depend on age and risk. Screening can have benefits and harms; it is not the same as evaluating a new symptom, and there is no single routine scan or blood test that reliably screens for every cancer.
How cancer is diagnosed
Diagnosis may involve a history and exam, imaging, laboratory tests, and often a biopsy. Pathology can identify the cancer type and may test biomarkers that guide treatment. Symptoms, screening results, tumor markers, or online stories alone cannot confirm cancer.
Learn about this story’s cancer topic
A public story may encourage questions, but it should not be used to estimate your risk or choose testing. Contact a healthcare professional about a persistent or concerning change. Seek urgent care for severe or rapidly worsening symptoms.