Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in many states. In fact, more than 3 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. Although it’s easy to assume that you won’t be affected by this disease, it’s important to be aware of your risk factors and know how often you should get a skin check.
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What To Look For During A Skin Check
Skin checks are a quick and easy way to identify signs of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. They can be conducted by a doctor or nurse, but you can also perform one yourself. While the process is painless, it will take some time—so if you’re pressed for time don’t fret!
To conduct your own skin check:
- Look for irregular moles (like those pictured above) on any part of your body that gets exposed to sunlight regularly (including underarms and shoulders). If there’s an irregular mole on a place where it wouldn’t normally be exposed to sunlight (such as in between toes), then this is also something worth checking out further with your doctor or dermatologist.
- Next go through each spot carefully using both hands—the backs of both hands are great places to start looking because they aren’t usually checked regularly by anyone else!
Some common types of skin cancer include:
- Basal cell carcinoma (BCC): This type of skin cancer starts in the lower layer of skin and often grows slowly. BCCs are often found on parts of the body that get sun exposure, such as the head, neck, hands and arms. They can also appear in areas that are not exposed to sunlight such as under nails or inside muscles or tendons. BCCs rarely spread to other parts of your body but can become more aggressive if they’re not treated early enough.
- Melanoma: Melanomas start from melanocytes (cells that produce pigment), which are found deep within our bodies’ dermis — part of our outermost layer of tissue underneath our epidermis (the top layer). Because melanomas have a higher chance than other types of cancers to spread through your bloodstream or lymphatic system (tubes that carry white blood cells), they’re considered one of the deadliest cancers if left untreated.
How Often To Have A Skin Check
Having a skin check Melbourne is the best way to catch melanoma early, which means you can get treatment that’s more effective. If you’re at high risk of melanoma, it’s recommended that you have one every six months.
If you’re not at high risk and don’t have any moles or freckles, having a skin check once a year may be enough for you.
While there isn’t a perfect time in the year to do this—there are some people who prefer doing them during their winter holidays because they’re less likely to be wearing heavy clothes when they go back inside after being outdoors—you should make sure that whatever time of year it is that you do it outside so as not to miss anything important about your body’s summery tanning habits (or lack thereof).
What Are The Benefits Of Having A Skin Check?
If you find a lesion during your skin check, a dermatologist will do a biopsy to determine whether it is cancerous. A biopsy is the removal of some cells from the lesion and their examination under a microscope to determine if they are cancerous. Depending on how many lesions are found during your skin check and what types of lesions, this may be all that needs to happen for now. If any suspicious spots were detected during an exam or if there is any question about what type of lesion it is, then further testing such as dermoscopy may be recommended.
If you have been diagnosed with melanoma or another form of skin cancer and want to learn more about treatment options for yourself or someone else in your life, our site offers information on each type of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), melanoma and lymphomas among others