How Likely Is a Scab in the Nose that Won’t Heal Skin Cancer?

There are three kinds of skin cancer that can grow inside the nose and present as a scab that won’t heal.

“Any scab that does not heal normally after one month should be evaluated because normal wounds should heal by that time,” explains Estee Williams, MD, a board certified medical, cosmetic and surgical dermatologist and assistant clinical professor in dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

“This is especially true if you’ve allowed it to heal without picking or traumatizing it! If you have, then there is a good reason why it has failed to heal.

“It is hard to say how likely it is for such a thing to be skin cancer.

“There are other conditions that can causes a non-healing scab in the nose, such as a fissure.”

Skin Cancer Inside Nose that Looks Like a Scab

First off, any growth that you keep picking at will probably bleed, and the bleeding will scab.

If what you’re picking at is a cancer, it will be a scab that won’t heal.

Of course, if you don’t pick at a cancer, it still won’t heal anyways.

But at least if you’re not picking at it, you can honestly tell a dermatologist that you have allowed it plenty of time to heal and are wondering why it hasn’t healed.

Basal cell carcinoma can grow inside the nose. Don’t panic if you get this diagnosis.

The chance of this common skin cancer metastasizing is so super tiny that it’s not even worth mentioning beyond this sentence.

Warning: Graphic Image Below

For all practical purposes, basal cell carcinoma is a local cancer that, if left untreated, will destroy your nose before it ever starts spreading beyond your face.

Squamous cell carcinoma, too, can arise inside the nose. However, SCC can spread to organs and if caught late, can be fatal. But it’s a relatively slow growing tumor.

Melanoma, unfortunately, can arise inside the nose and definitely look like a small scab.

A late-caught melanoma is usually fatal.

And yes, skin cancer can grow in places that seemingly get no sun, especially melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

A scabby growth inside the nose can also be a common benign scab — resulting from aggressive picking of the nose.

Dr. Williams strives to be at the forefront of her field, being active in local, national and international medical and cosmetic dermatology conferences. 

Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.