Skin Cancer Awareness Series Part 2: “Spot It Early: Skin Cancer is the One You Can See”

This month, Price Skin Care Clinic joins skin care professionals across the United States for ‘Skin Cancer Awareness Month’ by publishing a three-part series about skin cancer. Our second blog post, “Spot It Early: Skin Cancer is the One You Can See” is featured below.

Unlike other kinds of cancers, skin cancer is the one you can see.

That’s why it’s crucial that you conduct monthly self-exams and have a professional exam once a year.

What you see – and what the doctors sees – can save your life.

“The reason self-exams and annual exams by a trained skin doctor are so important is that finding and treating cancer early may help prevent the disease from spreading to other parts of the body,” says Richard Price, M.D. and director of Price Skin Care Clinic in Ridgeland, Mississippi. “A regular exam routine is your greatest ally in the prevention of skin cancer.”

How To Perform a Self-Exam
A self-exam screening should be performed in a well-lit room in front of a full-length mirror. A hand mirror is recommended for hard-to-see areas.

The self-exam should include:
• Examining your face, neck, and stomach.
• Under their breasts (women)
• Raise arms and look at your left and right sides.
• Front and back of your forearms.
• Hands, including between your fingers and under your fingernails.
• Front, back, and sides of your legs.
• Feet from the top to the soles and between the toes.
• Use the hand-held mirror to check your back, buttocks, and genitals.
• Using a comb or hair dryer to move hair aside, check your scalp.

What Should You Look for in a Self-Exam?
If you find any of the following during a self-exam, you should see a skin doctor for a professional exam:
• A change in an existing mole or spot
• A mole or other skin mark that oozes, bleeds, or becomes crusty
• A mole that is painful to the touch
• A sore that doesn’t heal within two weeks
• Shiny pink, red, pearly white, or translucent bump
• A mole or sore with irregular borders, that may bleed easily

Pay Special Attention to Moles
If you have moles, you should be extra vigilant to watch for changes. Use the ‘ABCDE’ format to remember what to watch for:
• Asymmetry: The mole has an odd shape, with half of it not matching the other half.
• Border: The border of the mole is ragged or irregular.
• Color: The color of the mole is uneven.
• Diameter: The mole is bigger than the size of a pea or a pencil eraser.
• Evolving: The mole has changed in size, shape, or color.

If you see anything out of the ordinary or any change in a mole’s appearance, see a skin doctor as soon as possible.

And remember – skin cancer is the one you can see. So, conduct your monthly self-exams regularly and if you see something, say something.

Skin Cancer Awareness Month is the perfect time to schedule your annual skin exam with a skin professional at Price Skin Care Clinic. To schedule your appointment, call 601.992.3996.