I spotted a barely visible ‘pimple’ on my forehead after changing up my skincare routine at 31. Then the doctor’s office called and delivered the bad news…

When Cera Byrum noticed a barely visible “pimple” on her forehead in December 2023, skin cancer was the last thing on her mind.

But just four months later, she received the grim diagnosis halfway through her shift as a teacher.

The young mother, 31, from Dallas, was in class when she received a call from a nurse telling her the small bump was cancer.

‘I still remember it vividly. It was already a terrible day and I was told to give up my only break during the school day to catch up with another teacher,” Cera told FEMAIL.

‘My phone rang and I knew it was the doctor’s office. I remember saying to my friend, “Well, at least I have some good news today. I bet they’ll tell me my biopsy was clear.” I answered and the nurse on the other end of the line said it was skin cancer.”

She noticed a small bump on her forehead which a biopsy confirmed was cancer (pictured)

As a child, Cera played for hours in the sun. She admitted that she also used tanning beds during her late teens because she was ashamed of her pale skin.

She also has a family history of skin cancer, with her parents and brother previously diagnosed with it.

Cera was first diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma in late 2021 after discovering a 1.5cm ‘flaky patch of skin’ under the bra strap on her shoulder.

She had it removed and received two layers of stitches.

‘I wasn’t allowed to pick up my baby for three weeks. “I don’t think I understood how something so small could have such a big effect on my daily life,” she said.

After that diagnosis, she was diligent with skin checks and wore sunscreen every day. However, this did not erase the damage she had done when she was younger.

“If I had never gotten my first skin cancer and had annual visits, I would never have had it checked,” she said.

‘As a few months passed, the fleshy bump took on a translucent, pearly sheen. I assumed it was forming a pimple,” she said. ‘Unfortunately I was never able to pop the “pimple” and it stuck. She then went to a dermatologist

Cera was first diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma in late 2021 after discovering a 1.5cm ‘scaly patch of skin’ under her bra strap on her shoulder. She had it removed and had two layers of stitches (scar pictured on her shoulder)

A dermatologist performed a biopsy and two weeks later Cera was diagnosed while teaching a class full of students (pictured with her husband and daughter)

Cera spent the years after surgery “loving and embracing” her pale skin and avoided going out in the sun or tanning. She also started researching skin care and turned to a daily dose of tretinoin and sunscreen.

In December, she noticed a small bump on her forehead above her eyebrow and thought it would go away.

‘As a few months passed, the fleshy bump took on a translucent, pearly sheen. I assumed it was forming a pimple,” she said.

‘Unfortunately I was never able to pop the “pimple” and it stuck. I hated the way this bump stood out even more under my luminous makeup.”

In April, she decided to see a dermatologist and assumed the bump was due to clogged pores and that all she needed was a cream to get rid of it.

The expert grabbed a lamp and a lens to examine the area up close before performing a biopsy.

“She said the pearly sheen was a telltale sign of basal cell carcinoma. I couldn’t believe it,” Cera recalled.

The dermatologist said it would take up to two weeks for the rash to come back, but it took a little longer and she thought she was ‘clear’.

As a child, Cera played in the sun for hours and during her adolescence she used tanning beds because she was ashamed of her pale skin

Then came the dreaded day when she was told the cancer had returned and she needed surgery.

When Cera heard the news, she left the classroom and cried.

‘I walked back into class and told my colleague and my best friend. The children knew I had cried and were so kind to me. “I never told them about it until I came back to school with a row of stitches in my forehead,” she added.

‘I had no idea that the years of UV rays from being in the sun or going to the tanning bed were being stored inside and waiting to be released. “I felt guilty for doing this to myself,” she said.

“It was a result of my own stupid decisions from my childhood and early adolescence.”

The young mother also felt guilty and sorry for herself.

“If it’s ‘just skin cancer’ and it’s easily treatable, why on earth was I so sad about it?” she remembered.

“I guess I just assumed that since the first round of cancer, I had followed all the rules and done everything expected of me to prevent this.”

Cera had two surgeries: one to remove the bump and one to remove extra surrounding tissue that had not been removed before.

“Skin cancer is like an iceberg: what appears on the skin above the surface is usually much deeper and broader underneath,” she said.

‘Skin cancer is like an iceberg: what appears on the skin above the surface is usually much deeper and wider underneath,’ she said (recently pictured)

Now Cera wishes she could turn back the clock and tell her younger self what she knows now

Cera wishes she could turn back the clock and tell her younger self what she knows now.

‘I wish I could go back in time and really warn myself about the effects of the sun. In my youth I often went to the tanning bed because I knew the risks. I know, I’m so ashamed of it right now,” she said.

‘I used to be made fun of because I had such pale skin, even now I still have grown women commenting on how I need a tan or how they can see my veins through my skin.

‘But despite my insecurities, I know that my pale skin is beautiful. I will not bully my body into achieving some superficial beauty standard.”

At the time, Cera assumed that if she got skin cancer, it would be an “easy fix” and she would get it right away. Although she had no idea how the UV rays hitting her skin were slowly causing cancer.

‘I had no idea that once I had skin cancer, it could appear anywhere, anytime on my body. When you go for a skin check, your doctor will check EVERYWHERE,” she said.

‘If there is skin, they check it. Every crevice in my body is thoroughly examined. My doctor once told me she found melanoma in someone’s mouth!

‘I think there is a misconception that skin cancer can only occur on the parts of the body that are often exposed to the sun.’

Cera shared her story in a popular Facebook group to encourage others to be diligent with skin checks and sunscreen.

‘Education is the key. Prevention is key. Access to an expert dermatologist is critical. I may not be able to change some of these factors, but I hope my story can help educate others and raise awareness about skin cancer,” she said.