Having tried Amazon Black Salve® (formerly known as Cansema®) on several areas on my legs and feet, but not getting any reaction, I decided to take the plunge, and move on to a mole which is located a few inches or so to the left of my neck at the top of my back.
I had intended to try to get some reactions from spots on my legs or feet, to gauge how my body would react, and to experiment on minimizing scarring as well. I also learned that sometimes 2 applications, 24 hrs. apart, may not be enough, so I was determined to apply up to, but no more than, 5 times to try to get a reaction. For more on this, see my previous posts on Black Salve Experiments.
Black Salve Experiment #1. Which was simply a “test” spot.
I picked this mole because it was irregular in shape, had become slightly raised, and had a couple of dark spots in it. I have had it as long as I can remember – so probably since birth! I also had a second one very near to this one, which was “blanched” and “shaved off” 23 years ago. It, too, had become raised and irregularly shaped, but it also had become irritated whenever scratched. I was always worried that it was cancerous, but never diagnosed as such.
A couple views of this mole before applying Black Salve. I apologize for the picture-taking at the outset – the location of the mole is on the back side, and getting a fair focus on it (much less getting it IN the frame at all, lol) is a hit-or-miss proposition. Some are good, some are not so good. These 2 pictures were taken on 10/20/13. Sometimes I have also managed to crop out the date….
After applying the Black Salve, it DID feel as if something was happening, but I felt no real pain.
But… It didn’t really appear like anything was happening. So I cleaned it off with hydrogen peroxide, and put on a 2nd application.
While my skin is starting to turn red (expected reaction), it still didn’t appear like anything was happening. It still doesn’t really “hurt”, I’d say the itching is the worst discomfort. The red marks at the bottom right quadrant appear to be from scratching, not from the Black Salve. Again, I cleaned it off with hydrogen peroxide….
….and I went ahead and applied the Black Salve for a third time. The redness is more apparent in this picture.
I know this photo is way off center, and not well focussed, but found it interesting that the Band-aid literally peeled off a bit of my skin off. Funny how the “medical establishment” likes to call Black Salve “corrosive”, yet the Band-aid has damaged my skin WAY more than the Black Salve has!! Another point of interest was the redness now extending out beyond the confines of the Band-aid.
Initial view where it still doesn’t seem as if anything is reacting, even though there is a lot of redness involved. Still really no pain, other than an occasional burning or stinging. LOTS of itching, but may be from the adhesive on the Band-aid as much as from the Black Salve… Scratch marks are still evident, and now there is a new point of reference where the Band-aid pulled off my skin. Now THAT stung!! I again cleaned everything off with peroxide, and applied more Black Salve.
This is my 4th application of Black Salve to the mole on 10/23/13.
After putting on the Band-aid – in a different direction! – I noticed a line of “satellite” reactions in the red area outside the Band-aid, so I applied a thin line of Black Salve over these, and added a second Band-aid to cover that, as well. I have to admit that over the course of the next day, I wondered if I was wise to do that, but what was done, was done. And I left it.
On 10/24/13 I was anxious to see what was going on, as the day before I was starting to get some reactions….
I definitely was having some reactions, including a number of “satellites”. It definitely seemed as if the mole was showing some separation from the surrounding tissue. And the scratch marks were also starting to “heal” and scab over. At this point, I did not apply any more Black Salve, but went into eschar care mode. I cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide, then applied some Colloidal Silve Salve. After letting that absorb into my skin for a bit, I then applied some Vaseline, and covered with another Band-aid. I have seen in my research that one was not supposed to let the eschar dry out. This routine I started doing twice a day.
Unfortunately, I was unable to get any very good pix on the 25th, but I guess you’ll get the idea, anyway. Still no real pain throughout…. itching, itching, itching, though. Always feels good and cooling to apply the Colloidal Silver Salve. And definitely feels good when I don’t have a Band-aid on!
While the AREA of the redness seems to be shrinking, the INTENSITY does not. While cleaning the area in the morning, I got a few drops of blood, so I left off the Vaseline in the morning cleaning. It seems to be so hard to get off with just a Q-tip or cotton ball, and some hydrogen peroxide. And I’ve started using the Colloidal Silver Salve twice whenever I have a chance to leave the Band-aid off for awhile. I am using the big ones (the ones for “knees”), and BOY, I cannot wait until I’m able to use the small circular ones!! It’ll be some time yet for that!!
Well, it is a good time to end Part 1, as it has covered the first week, and I’ve bombarded you with a huge number of pictures. Part 2 will be coming soon – at least until I get myself caught up!
Update: Part 2 can be seen here.
Comments, suggestions, questions, experiences to share – all are welcome!! Please feel free to comment!