A 'blackhead' on her back, and a melanoma she never knew she had

Accidental melanoma find

It started with a moment that’s incredibly common in the Okanagan.

A sister notices something on someone’s skin and says, “Hey … what is that?”

The patient in this month’s video is a 60-year-old woman who lives alone. Her sister spotted a dark, suspicious-looking spot on her back—an area that’s notoriously hard to see on your own. The sister wondered if it was a blackhead, but couldn’t shake the thought that it might be skin cancer.

So the patient did what Dr. Ben Wiese wishes more people would do: She booked a professional skin check.

What Dr. Wiese found is a powerful reminder that:

• The spot you’re worried about may not be cancer
• But the skin cancer you don’t know about can be hiding somewhere else

The back spot: Not cancer—a dilated pore of Winer

When Dr. Wiese examined her back, he found the culprit behind the sister’s concern: a dilated pore of Winer, which is a benign (non-cancerous) condition—essentially a greatly enlarged pore that becomes packed with keratin, forming a giant keratin plug that can sit there quietly for years.

From a distance, it can look alarming because it’s dark, irregular, “stuck” in the skin and very much like something people worry could be melanoma

In the video, you’ll actually see the removal of this plug. It’s satisfying to watch—but more importantly, it’s educational. It shows why you can’t diagnose skin cancer based on a quick glance or a guess.

And a key message: Please don’t try to remove lesions like this at home. What looks like a harmless “blackhead” can sometimes be something entirely different—and squeezing, digging or picking can cause infection, scarring or delay proper diagnosis.

The real twist: The issue that brought her in wasn’t the biggest risk

Even though the dilated pore of Winer was the reason she booked the appointment, Dr. Wiese didn’t stop there.

Because when someone comes in worried about skin cancer—especially someone who can’t easily check their own back—he takes a comprehensive, head-to-toe approach.

That includes a full skin examination and, for appropriate patients, total body mapping and full body photography with Dr. Wiese’s FotoFinder ATBM system, which helps him document the skin systematically, compare lesions over time and catch subtle changes early.

The unexpected finding: A very small melanoma on her inner thigh

During her full examination, Dr. Wiese found something she had no idea was there: a very small melanoma on her right inner thigh.

No symptoms.

No pain.

No bleeding.

No “warning sign” she could feel.

And it wasn’t on a classic, sun-exposed spot like the face, shoulders or arms. This is one of the most important takeaways from the video. Skin cancer doesn’t have to be on sun-exposed skin.

Melanoma can appear in places people rarely check—or don’t even think to check—such as:

• inner thighs
• the scalp
• between toes
• under breast tissue
• along the back—especially if you live alone

That’s why relying only on “the spots I can see” can leave serious gaps.

Why this happens so often (especially if you live alone)

Living alone doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. Your back is hard to inspect, lighting in bathrooms is often poor, you don’t get the “second set of eyes” that can notice change, and many early melanomas are subtle.

In this case, her sister’s attention to detail was the nudge that got her through the door—and that’s what led to the discovery of a melanoma she didn’t know existed.

What you’ll learn watching this month’s video

This sponsored educational video isn’t just about a “giant blackhead.” It’s about what a dilated pore of Winer is and why it can mimic something more serious, why a professional exam matters when you’re worried about skin cancer, how total body mapping supports careful monitoring and how melanoma can be found in areas you’d never expect—and why that matters in real life.

If you’ve ever thought “It’s probably nothing” or “If it was dangerous, I’d notice it,” this video is for you.

A simple self-check reminder (that actually works)

A self-check is not a substitute for a medical exam, but it’s still worth doing.

Try this once a month:

• Use a full-length mirror and hand mirror to examine back, shoulders and backs of legs
• Use your phone camera to photograph hard-to-see areas
• Check the forgotten zones: scalp (part your hair), soles, between toes and inner thighs
• Look for new, changing or odd-one-out spots

If something is changing—or if you’re simply unsure—get it assessed.

The bottom line

This patient came in worried about one spot.

Dr. Wiese addressed it. He reassured her. And because he completed a full assessment, he found something else that mattered.

The visit you book for “just one thing” can reveal what you didn’t know to look for.

If you’re concerned about a lesion—or you’re due for a skin check—visit the Dr. Ben Wiese website here. For skin health education, clinic updates and monthly sponsored videos, visit Dr. Wiese’s pages on Instagram and on Facebook.

This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.