Self Skin Exams Save Lives

By George K. Verghese, MD

Mid-Atlantic Skin Surgery Institute

. https://midatlanticskinsurgery.com/

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Self Skin Exams Save Lives

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Each year, more than two million Americans are diagnosed withskin cancer.

While most skin cancers are not deadly, nearly 20,000 Americans do die from the disease each year and thousands more are permanently disfigured. Fortunately, skin cancers that are found and removed early are almost always curable and leave little or no scarring.

One of the best ways to ensure that happens is to conduct a monthly self examination of your skin and bring any identified changes to the attention of your dermatologist.

What should you be looking for? Any spot or marking that is new, or one that changes in size, shape, feel or color. You should also be aware of any changes in how skin looks and feels particularly any crusting, oozing, or bleeding, as well as itching, tenderness, or pain.

More than likely, you'll discover many skin moles. In most cases these are harmless blemishes; however, you should make note and monitor them for changes. Until an existing or new mole is examined by your dermatologist, it is always best to err on the side of caution.

How do you do self skincancer exam? First you will need a few helpful tools a large or full-length mirror, a hand mirror, good lighting and a blow dryer. You will then remove all your clothes and stand facing the large mirror.

Starting from the top of your head to your toes, you will check your face, neck, chest, torso, shoulders, arms, hands, front of the legs and top of the feet. It is very important when examining your hands that you look at your palms, between your fingers and under your fingernails.

With your back to the large mirror, use the hand mirror to help you check your entire backside. The blow dryer can help you part your hairand allow you to examine your scalp including the area around and behind each ear.

Finally, use the hand mirror to examine your genitalia and your feet including between the toes and under the toenails.

As you conduct your exam, make written notes about any areas of your skin that concern you and share that information with your dermatologist. You should also have your dermatologist conduct an annual professional exam.