Checking for skin cancer
Skin can look beautiful from the exterior but there are many factors that can make it unhealthy from within. You must be aware of the fact that that direct sun rays, various cosmetics and exposure to pollutants and radiations can damage the skin and can even cause skin cancer.
While this is true another fact that is worth noting is that it can be prevented by taking the right precautions and detecting the early warning signals. It has been proved that early detection of skin cancers can greatly help in the treatment and improve the prognosis.
Do it yourself
As skin is exposed to naked eye, the changes occurring can be seen and noted. Just as you do various daily rituals to keep yourself clean, you can also regularly look for any changes in the skin. There is a possibility that you can spot certain changes that are the early signs of skin cancer. Regular self examination of skin for skin cancer can help in early diagnosis and treatment.
Some of the important points to be considered for self examination are:
· Undress yourself and use a mirror to observe and examine the skin surfaces of all body parts. Make the hairline areas clearly visible by moving the hair portion and observe carefully.
· Examine the color of the skin in all areas; observe moles, birthmarks, any new lesions or colored areas. Examine exposed as well as unexposed areas carefully.
· Make notes and list the observations related to the appearance of the moles or marks. Note the size, color and location of the marks.
· On repeated examinations look for any changes in the previous marks or moles. Look for increase in size, change of location or color and make notes of the same.
· Check for any asymmetry or marks. Note the borders of the marks carefully and check for irregular borders.
· Examine the marks that are large in size or those that are growing in size.
· Examine the moles, marks and lesions that are changing in appearance or have bleeding.
