Early Signs Of Skin Cancer You Should Be Aware Of
Posted on: 29 June 2022
Skin cancer can spread quickly and go undetected if you aren't paying attention to the early signs of this disease. Skin cancer doesn't care if you're young or old, or male or female. Skin cancer can affect anyone. There are early warning signs of skin cancer that you should be aware of, and that you should be watching out for. Read on for some of the early warning signs and when you should have a skin cancer screening.
Dry Patches
Dry patches on the skin that don't seem to go away could be an early warning sign of skin cancer. These dry patches may peel and flake, or they may appear shiny, but rough to the touch. These patches may seem to never heal or could appear red. If you have any of these patches on the skin, you should have them looked at by a dermatologist or tested to rule out skin cancer. These patches usually occur on the skin most commonly in the sun.
Abnormal Moles
Abnormal moles can be an early sign of skin cancer. Moles that have changed, in shape, size, or color could be cancerous and should be checked out by a dermatologist. If your moles have become irregular in size, have changed shape to include a jagged edge, or have darkened, it could be a sign of skin cancer. Moles like these can appear on any part of the body but are usually those that are seen by the sunlight.
Dark Spots
Dark spots that appear on the body can also be an early sign of skin cancer. They can appear on any part of the body that is in the sunlight, usually on the cheeks of the face, forehead, or shoulders. These darkened spots may appear to be just darkened pigment, but they may turn into something much worse if you don't protect your skin.
If you notice any of these signs, you should make an appointment with a dermatologist to have a skin cancer screening. A skin cancer screening usually involves the spot being looked at by the dermatologist, then the skin cells are scraped and tested. If there are any skin cancer cells in the area, further scraping and testing is done. The cells are scraped and tested until there are no more cancer cells found. If need be, surgery may be required, or chemotherapy or radiation may be required. If you have any of the early signs of skin cancer, you should make an appointment right away with your dermatologist.
Contact a local dermatology office, such as Hamzavi Dermatology, to learn more.
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