Something to smile about...(credit:
chadmiller)
Most skin cancers occur in visible areas, the face, hands, neck and arms. The detection, diagnosis and removal of skin cancer can be devastating enough, but when a lesion is on the face, the mark is more than skin deep and takes more than a few stitches to heal.
Although most wounds from the removal of skin cancer heal on their own over time, it takes months of bandages and wound care, with no assurance that the area will not be deformed in shape, size or color. Because of that, 99 percent of skin cancer patients with significant facial lesions opt for cosmetic or reconstructive surgery.
Even with reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, patients with significant facial defects often must undergo several procedures and significant out-of-pocket expenses, to feel like they look normal.
For small areas, nearby skin can be rearranged to help fill the wound. But patients with an extreme deformation on the nose often require a more extreme procedure, which involves a flap of forehead skin, rotated downward and attached to the nose.
Many patients also need follow-up procedures, including dermabrasion, scar revisions or skin fillers.
Although fees for the diagnosis, removal and repair of skin cancer - such as a biopsy, surgery or reconstruction - are covered by most insurance plans, cosmetic corrections that are not functional or medically necessary are not.