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Take Care of the Skin You’re In – Prevent Skin Cancer

Take Care of the Skin You’re In – Prevent Skin Cancer

The Sun gives out rays that are healthy for us. We know we need the sun for light and heat. We need sunshine to produce Vitamin D for proper calcium absorption to prevent osteoporosis. The sun’s rays are absorbed by a gland in the brain that sets our circadian rhythm and tells us when its time to get up and go to bed. But like too many things in life, too much of a good thing can be bad for us.

Too Much Of A Good Thing

When many of us were younger, a glowing tan was a sign of health. We laid out in the natural sun for hours on end without any protection to get that healthy look, never realizing what we were doing to our skin. And to make matters worse, we can now get more sun exposure faster with the popularity of tanning beds. Many years later, skin lesions are cropping up and you wonder where they came from and what they are.

Skin Lesions

Precancerous lesions can be surgically removed or treated with liquid nitrogen. Other lesions can be treated with lotions and ointments. Cancerous lesions like basal cell carcinoma can be excised and further treatment may not be warranted. Other cancerous skin lesions like squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma need surgical excision and may need radiation or chemotherapy and can be life threatening. Your dermatologist can determine the type of skin cancer you have with a thorough examination and by taking necessary biopsies.

Not every skin lesion we get is a skin cancer. There are normal skin lesions that we get as we age. But there are many precancerous and cancerous lesions that can pop up. You need a dermatologist to identify and treat these skin lesions. A good rule of thumb is to report any new skin lesion, any lesion bigger than the size of a pencil eraser, a multicolored lesion, a lesion with irregular borders and any lesion that is changing.

Prevention

Stay out of the sun when possible. When you want to go out, protect yourself with a sunscreen with a high SPF, 45 or higher. Wear long sleeves and a wide brimmed hat. Sit under an umbrella at the beach. Limit your time in the sun and avoid exposure between 10am and 2 pm when the sun’s rays are strongest.

Take Early Action

If you discover a suspicious skin lesion, tell your Health Care Provider. A referral to a Dermatologist may be necessary. Many of my patients have routine skin checks every six months. Be observant, take a long look at the skin you’re in.

Take Care of the Skin You’re In – Prevent Skin Cancer

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