10/21/2026
As a Master Esthetician for over 10 years, I’ve seen my fair share of suspicious skin issues and have referred MANY patients to the Dermatologist. Clients call me emotional after their appointments with both good and bad results. As I am not a doctor, I can’t diagnose, and I am quick to refer.
My husband was diagnosed with skin cancer in June and spent the ENTIRE summer having and healing from 3 separate skin cancer removal surgeries. I will tell his story when he gives me permission - but his being in the middle of his process is relevant to mine.
About 4 months ago I got a raised little closed bump about an inch from my ear. It looked like milia or a closed comedone (pimple). So I tried to extract it. Nothing came out and it simply wouldn’t heal. Then it began to itch. Then it formed a crust. I began tracking it in July because I still thought it was just a stubborn blemish that I had exacerbated.
In August I saw Amy Nelson PAC at Advanced Dermatology & Skin Surgery who agreed that it had really benign features. It didn’t spontaneously bleed, it hadn’t changed size, but she agreed to remove it and send it to pathology to make sure it was nothing.
Well. It was something. And it was more serious than my husband’s skin cancers in type and potential to metastasize. It was Squamous Cell Carcinoma. I overly indulged in tanning beds during my younger years and alas, it’s backfired.
Because it is my face, I decided to do MOHS surgery at Advanced Dermatology Surgical Center in Spokane Valley and I specifically wanted Dr. Cvancara, due to his reputation for reconstruction and his expertise in MOHS surgery.
If I wasn’t the patient, I would be super excited about the educational aspects of the entire MOHS process. I will continue to post about this MOHS process in part 2.
I’m documenting my entire journey because education is something I’m passionate about and quite frankly - beauty schools cover these types of issues in about 1 chapter with a teacher who just graduated beauty school. It HIGHLY needs to be included as part of a more serious subject for as many “skin professionals” as these schools pump out - but I will advocate on that issue later.