As the cosmetic laser industry booms, thousands are chasing perfect skin with quick and cheap treatments.
But dermatologists are concerned the largely unregulated procedures are covering up the signs of something more sinister.
Sydney gallery owner Christa Billich consulted a cosmetic physician in 2021 after she noticed a small mark on her face.
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"He said, 'Oh, it's a sunspot, we can laser that, it's not a big deal'," Billich said.
For two years and with two different doctors, she underwent more than 12 rounds of laser.
But she later discovered her sunspot was actually a melanoma and laser was hiding the evidence.
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"It's still growing, unnoticed, to me or anyone else," she said.
"The danger of having laser is much, much bigger than ignoring it."
By the time Billich had it triple-checked by a dermatologist the spot covered half her left cheek.
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"I thought, 'How could I do this? How could I be so ignorant and ignore everything? just because a couple of people told me it was a sunspot?'" she said.
Since the surgery in January, she has been cancer-free and her scar is healing.
"I have been extremely lucky," she said.
Specialist dermatologist Dr Ritu Gupta told 9News the laser surgery was unregulated in Australia, which made it "the wild west".
"Unfortunately the person that suffers is the public," Dr Gupta said.
"Once you've lasered it, you don't have any pathology.
"By the time it pops its head up again, it's going to be much thicker, it's going to be more serious and potentially have spread."
"We recommend that a person goes to a doctor, their GP, and they seek advice," Cancer Council NSW skin cancer prevention manager Liz King said.
Training requirements for staff in cosmetic laser clinics differ from business to business and state to state, with no national standard. In New South Wales there is no regulatory oversight.
"For anyone else who thinks they have a sunspot – please don't wait that long," Billich said.
