Symptoms and Preventive Tips for Skin Cancer

Symptoms of Skin Cancer

The most familiar warning sign of skin cancer is a change on the skin, normally a new mole or skin injury or a change in an existing mole.

• Basal cell carcinoma may emerge as a small, soft, pearly or waxy smack on the face ears and neck; or as a horizontal, pink/red- or brown-colored wound on the case or arms and legs.
• Squamous cell carcinoma can appear as a solid, red bump, or as a rough, peeling flat lesion that may cause itch, bleed and become hard. Both the basal cell and squamous cell cancers mostly occur on areas of the skin regularly exposed to the sun, but can occur anywhere.
• Melanoma usually emerges as a pigmented area or bump. It may look like a normal mole, but usually has a more unbalanced appearance.

When appearing for melanoma, think of the ABCD rules that tells you the signs to observe for:

• Asymmetry—the form of one half doesn't match the other
• Border—edges are torn or blurred
• Color—irregular shades of brown, black, tan, red, white or blue
• Diameter—a considerable change in size (greater than 6mm).

Prevention of Skin Cancer

Nothing can absolutely undo sun damage, even though the skin can sometimes repair by itself. Hence, it's never too late to start protecting yourself from the sun. Your skin does change with age—for example, you sweat less and your skin can take longer to cure, but you can holdup these changes by residing out of the sun. Following these tips to helps prevent skin cancer

• Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or better 30 minutes before sun exposure and then every few hours subsequently.
• Select best cosmetic products and contact lenses that proffer UV protection.
• Wear sunglasses with overall UV protection.
• Avoid direct sun exposure in so far as possible during crest UV radiation hours between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
• Perform skin self-exams frequently to become well-known with existing growths and to observe any changes or new growths.
• 80% of a person's lifetime sun exposure is obtained before age 18. As a parent, be a superior role model and promote skin cancer prevention habits in your child.