How TikTok helped save this man’s life

By Jessica Hehir-Smith via SWNS

A man owes his life to TikTok users who warned him about a potentially cancerous mole they spotted — in a one-second clip.

Alex Griswold, 25, shared a skit with his wife that featured a two-second clip of his back in December 2019.

He received multiple messages from two different people, strongly advising that he see a dermatologist about a mole on his back.

The dermatologist removed the atypical mole and let Alex know that he has a higher risk of developing skin cancer and needed more of the area removed.

During another checkup, he was told that he had another potentially dangerous mole and needed that removed too.

Alex’s doctor explained that the people who warned him about the mole could have saved his life.

Since the removal of his two moles, Alex is getting regular check-ups, taking preventative measures and educating his followers on the importance of checking your skin.

Content creator Alex, from New York City, NY, said: “If I had continued to look at my mole as a thing to not worry about, I’m not confident how the whole situation would have ended.

“I had less than 100,000 followers and really wasn’t receiving a lot of DMs so the persistent messages from those two users really stood out.

“For a few weeks, I almost didn’t take their advice because I didn’t really think it would be a problem.”

The earnest TikTok users told Alex about their experiences with similar-looking moles and how they had to have them removed due to the increased chance the area would develop into skin cancer.

He described that there are certain atypical characteristics of a mole that could indicate it could become cancerous. These are what helped those users to identify his potentially-dangerous mole.

Alex said: “First they’ll remove the mole to be safe, and then perform a skin biopsy to determine if they’ll need to remove more of the surrounding skin.

“They removed more of my skin as I had a higher risk of developing skin cancer, leaving me with a permanent two-inch long scar on my back.

“Leading up to having my pre-melanoma removed, I felt very casual about the whole thing.

“It wasn’t until after my procedures when my dermatologist told me that my life was potentially saved that I realized the severity of the situation.”

Alex believes that his experience was not only helpful in encouraging others to have their skin checked but also a great story of internet positivity and how people are willing to go out of their way to help others.

He added: “The reaction online has been overwhelmingly positive. I often get messages from people who were inspired to go to their dermatologist because of my video about this.

“I’m always looking for ways to inspire people and give them hope.

“I’ve learned that it is so important to take care of your body and seek any help that you think you may need.

“Remember that people are good and that they want to help others - the internet is just another tool to make that possible.”