May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month! As the sunny day of summer approaches, it is essential to stay on top of protecting your skin. It is easy to forget about skincare as you enjoy your time in the warm weather, however, too much sun exposure can leave your skin in a dangerous position. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, more than 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day.
Skin Cancer Awareness Month Tips
At O’Neill Plastic Surgery, we do more than cosmetics. We care about your skin’s health and know how easy it can be to let skin cancer go undetected. That is why we are here to share simple tips for recognizing and preventing skin cancer in your own life.
Get Routine Full Body Skin Exams
There are many benefits to receiving a routine full-body skin examination. It gives your provider a chance to check your skin for signs of skin cancer that you may not have been able to identify on your own. There are many places on the skin we cannot observe intently by ourselves, but a doctor can take the time to do it for you.
A full-body skin examination is one of the services we offer at O’Neill Plastic Surgery. Schedule an appointment with us, and you can find relief in knowing that a specialized provider can determine if you have possible places to have treatment.
Protect Your Skin In The Sun
As May acts as Skin Cancer Awareness Month, it is also the start of those really great weather days. With those days, however, comes the harmful effects of the sun’s rays. While most people assume this is only with skin cancer, that is not the only negative effect of the sun on the skin. The Cleveland Clinic explains the way the sun changes and affects our skin over time. The sun’s ultraviolet rays damage the fibers in our skin which causes the skin to sag, stretch, and not be able to go back to its normal place after stretching.
Along with that, is the fact that the sun is the leading cause of skin cancer in patients. When your skin is not protected from the sun, it is receiving those rays that often eventually lead to cases of skin cancer in people.
To promote sun safety, O’Neill Plastic Surgery is offering all SPF products at 20% off throughout Skin Cancer Awareness Month. It is time to find your new favorite product and protect your skin from the sun, all at the same time.
Pay Attention To Changes
While having a doctor who specializes in the skin is important, it is also essential to pay attention to your skin on your own as well. If you notice that a spot on your skin looks different than it did before, that could be something to bring up with your medical professional.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains the ABDCE rule which can help you identify possible spots as skin cancer, specifically melanoma.
- Asymmetrical: Does the mole or spot have an irregular shape with two parts that look very different?
- Border: Is the border irregular or jagged?
- Color: Is the color uneven?
- Diameter: Is the mole or spot larger than the size of a pea?
- Evolving: Has the mole or spot changed during the past few weeks or months?
Keeping track of your moles or spots with these questions can be the best way to prevent skin cancer from progressing. Talk to your doctor if you begin to notice these changes.
Take Your Doctor’s Advice On Removal
If your doctor recommends getting a spot removed from your skin, it is important to listen to them. After the mole or spot is removed, it can be put under further testing to determine if it is benign or cancerous.
At O’Neill Plastic Surgery, we offer both benign lesion removal and skin cancer removal. This way, you can ensure that you are taking every step towards protecting your skin from further damage. If the spot removed is cancerous, it is vital to follow up and make sure it did not affect further areas. It also means that your body could be susceptible to skin cancer again in the future. These are important actions to consider year-long, not only during Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
Skin Cancer Awareness Month is a great reason to take better care of your skin. These easy steps can help you prevent and protect from skin cancer issues in the future. On the other hand, they could be the way that you find out something is going on with your skin. Are you interested in scheduling a full-body skin exam to get started? O’Neill Plastic Surgery is here to help. Check out our website or give us a call at (843) 881-2130.
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