Don’t let cancer get under your skin!

“If you can spot it, you can stop it.”

Photo by Ava Sol on Unsplash

I do something that I advise everyone to do every year. I get a regular mole check. I want to make sure that my skin is healthy and that all my moles and various bumps are fine. So, I go see my dermatologist, strip down and put on that beautiful hospital gown for my check-up. It’s easy, painless and over in a few minutes. And I leave reassured that all is well. And that means a lot to me personally having had surgery for a pre-melanoma on my face seven years ago.

There are three types of skin cancer. It is very easy to mistake all three for pimples, so here is what to look for…

• Painful or itchy lesions
• Pimples that erupt, bleed, heal and then return
• Crusty patches that look like dry skin, are waxy or pearly in appearance
• Growths with elevated borders and indented centers.

Bear in mind that by the age of 65, you have upwards of a 40% chance of developing one of these cancers. And they do reoccur.

And, these are the types…

1. Melanoma — it develops in the cells (melanocytes) that produce melanin — the pigment that gives your skin its color. Melanoma can also form in your eyes and, rarely, inside your body, such as in your nose or throat. This…