Jigar Patel’s research while affiliated with Duke University Medical Center and other places

There is a lack of data characterizing tumors located within male facial hair subunits and determining if terminal hair growth obscures tumor detection, thus leading to a delay in diagnosis. Our objective was to evaluate the difference in cutaneous tumor size in men who had facial hair compared to men without facial hair. This retrospective chart review analyzed Mohs micrographic surgery cases of tumors located within facial hair subunits from January 2015 to December 2018 at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Patients and dermatologists should maintain a high index of suspicion for any concerning lesion contained within skin underlying facial hair to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous tumors.