From Wn.com

Amongst all of the cancers we know, the one that is most common will be skin cancer. If you get it diagnosed at an early stage and receive treatment, it can be one of the cancers to cure the easiest.

However, if you allow it to progress, cancer may result in deformity or even cause death. Except from consulting your doctor on a yearly basis for a skin exam. It will be best if you can do a self-examination to make sure that you don’t become another statistic of skin cancer’s battle.

You should perform a self-examination on a regular basis to be alert, to know when there are any changes concerning your skin, as it will benefit to detect skin cancer early. It has to become part of your routine on a monthly basis.

Your dermatologist can recommend if you need to do it more regular. He/she should do the first full-body exam, to make sure those existing moles, spots, or freckles are ordinary, and if it’s not to get treatment at an early stage.

Standard Information of Skin Cancer

With this disease, cancer or malignant cells will form in your skin’s tissue.

Different cancer types might start within your skin and progress to another part of your body.

The color of your skin and exposure to the sun may increase your risk to develop actinic keratosis, nonmelanoma, and skin cancer.

Actinic keratosis and nonmelanoma cancers of the skin will frequently appear through a transformation in your skin.

Specific procedures or test along with an examination of your skin can be used in order to find/detect and diagnosed actinic keratosis and nonmelanoma cancers of the skin.

There are some factors that can affect chances of recovery/prognosis, as well as your options for treatment.

Your skin is the largest of the organs your body holds, it protects you against infection, injury, sunlight and heat. The skin can also control your body heat and it stores vitamin D, water, and fat. It has many layers, although the two major layers consist of your epidermis or the outer/upper layer, plus your dermis or the inner/lower layer.

Cancer of your skin typically begins in your epidermis and it’s made up from 3 types of cells.

Squamous cells

This is flat, thin cells which form the top film of your epidermis.

Basal cells

These cells are round and they lay just under your squamous cells.

Melanocytes cells

These cells produce melanin which is found within the bottom part of your epidermis. It’s the pigment that provides the color of your natural skin. For instance, if you are exposed to a lot of suns, these melanocytes cells produce extra pigments that will cause your skin to become darker.

Cancer of the skin might occur all over your body. Although it is found most frequently on the skin which is exposed to the sun very often, for instance, your arms, hands, neck and face.

Signs you should look out for

Skin cancer comes in 3 key types, which are melanoma, basal cell, and squamous cell carcinoma. They all vary from each other in appearance, therefore, it’s important that you know which premature warning signs you should look for.

Any change especially of your skin of any sort. You shouldn’t ignore something that might look suspicious only because it’s not painful. Cancer of the skin can be without any pain, but at the same time, it can be dangerous.

Here are some warning signs, if you notice any of these appearances on your skin, you should contact your dermatologist for an exam.

If you discover a growth on your skin that might increase in its size, plus it appears multicolored, black, brown, tan, translucent or pearly.

When you have a beauty mark, birthmark, mole, or any kind of brown spot which change in color or texture, increase in thickness or size with irregular outlines. If it’s bigger than ¼”/6mm about the dimension of a pencil eraser, or when it appears after the age of 21.

A sore or spot which continues to bleed, erode, scab, crust, hurt, or itch.

When you have an open injury and it doesn’t heal in 3 weeks or less.

Do not delay or overlook it. If you notice a change in any existing spot, mole or freckle or a new one appears on your skin, you should go and see a dermatologist.

Protection against skin cancer

Up to ninety percent of your non-melanoma cancers of the skin have been associated with the exposure of UV/ultraviolet radiation by the sun. It’s been recommended to use sunscreen that offers an SPF 15 protection or even higher to protect against the sun.

However, this alone will not be enough, look at the following prevention skin cancer tips.

Between the hours of ten AM and four PM, you should seek shade against the sun.

Don’t go out in the sun and burn.

Avoid any tanning in the hot sun or tanning in UV booths.

When you go out into the sun cover yourself up with a broad-brimmed hat, clothing and also sunglasses with a UV-block.

Use a wide range of UVB/UVA sunscreens that have a protection of SPF 15 or even higher each day. If you have outdoor activities for long time periods, you should use one of the wide range UVB/UVA water-resistant sunscreens that provide a protection of SPF 30 or higher.

You should apply about two tablespoons sunscreen onto your whole body about thirty minutes prior to going outside. Make sure to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours or after you have been swimming, as well as when you sweat heavily.

Newborns shouldn’t be out in the sun, and sunscreen must only be used on a baby when they are older than 6 months.

Once a month, you should self-exam your entire body’s skin.

It will be good to see a dermatologist at least once a year to get a professional exam of the skin. Skin cancer is dangerous and could end up being life threatening if not caught in the early stages.