Dermal nodule getting bigger? (Photo)

Dear k_mcm,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

It is a good idea to have a skin check once per year by a specialist, especially if you are noticing any changes or new growths. The nodule can removed any time you wish. There will be a small scar involved with the removal.

These are very common, especially on legs, and usually caused by trauma. If it is getting bigger and sticking up, have it removed. You will still have a dark scar, but it should be much flatter. I removed one on me years ago and am glad I did.

If the nodule is getting bigger and/or getting pigmented, then by all means, have your surgeon remove it.

Dr. Taranow

This is likely a dermatofibroma, but rarely those can be a dermatofibro-sarcoma. We remove tham and although it leaves about a 1 inch scar, they tend to heal acceptably. I have seen 2 in my 29 years that were the bad actors (less than 1%)

Dermal nodule is not a specific diagnosis.
I’m guessing the true ideology of your growth is either a dermatofibroma or a benign mole or Nevus.
The slight hyperpigmentation around it most likely indicates that you’ve been picking at it or scratching it.
Typically skin responds with mild hyperpigmentation from mild inflammation and inflammation typically comes from some thing stirring up the tissues one way or the other.
Perhaps it’s clothes rubbing against it.
Do you have two doctors telling you it’s not cancerous. If it bothers you have it removed but expect to pay for it.
Well doctors make medical decisions in some cases this decision has been left up to you because there is no medical indication to remove the skin growth.
Everybody has some little skin growth somewhere on their body.
If it bothers you enough to make an appointment to have it excised then you’re ready to have it removed. You can call around and ask what various doctors would charge and what their approach would be. there are basically three ways to surgically deal with this. One is to cut it out like a circle and leave the open wound to heal over time.
That works really well for things that are very small typically 1/8 of an inch or smaller.Another option is to do a shave. with a shave at the base of the growth is left and the part that sticks up above the skin is removed. it will leave a long term scar that’s around and approximately the same size as the skin lesion. The drawback to wear shave is that it may continue to grow requiring a second procedure. shaving excisions are a good option for skin lesions that have the same color as your skin. It’s not a good idea for a raised dark mole.
After a shave excision you’ll have a raw surface that’ll take a few days to heal up.
The last option is to do an excision.
When we put in stitches to close a defect circles do not form flat closures. For that reason skin lesions are excised as an ellipse. in order to not have what are called “dog ears” The ellipse should generally have a 4 to 1 ratio. that means if your skin lesion is a quarter inch in diameter the total length of this car will be about 1 inch. If you make it shorter the contour will not be smooth.
Different doctors will probably have slightly different prices depending on how it’s removed and if stitches are required to close the defect.
No one can tell you with 100% accuracy With a true ideology of a skin growth is Alyssa sent for biopsy.
Doing a biopsy will add a fee to the procedure because the pathologist will charge for evaluating the tissue. I’m guessing the fee to evaluate a mole by a pathologist is around $150. I personally do not send things that I feel very comfortable with being benign. Other providers are more conservative and send everything that’s removed to pathology just in case.
Finally I should also mention that freezing the skin lesion with liquid nitrogen is also an option. This can reduce it in size and avoids any surgical procedure. for slightly larger skin lesions using liquid nitrogen may require a couple of sessions.
Dermatologist usually always have liquid nitrogen available in their office what plastic surgeons typically do not.
Sometimes liquid nitrogen is overlooked by surgeons and can be an excellent option for certain skin lesions.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD