Regular Skin Checks - Your Key to Early Detection

Picture a silent guardian, keeping you safe from harsh elements like the sun and even harmful bacteria. That's your skin, the largest organ of your body, playing a vital role in your overall health. Regular skin checks that lead to early detection are the weapon of choice when successfully treating skin cancer, which is the most common form of cancer worldwide.

By practicing routine self-checks of our skin, we can increase the chances of detecting any abnormalities at an early stage. This is crucial and leads to higher treatment success rates and potentially less invasive procedures that require a longer recovery time.

Benefits of Early Detection

• Improved Treatment Success Rates: The cancer is likely to be at a less advanced stage, making it easier to treat successfully.
• Less Invasive Treatment: Skin cancers can often be treated with less invasive procedures. This includes topical medications, cryotherapy (freezing), or simple excision.
• Preservation of Skin and Tissue: The preservation of as much healthy skin and tissue as possible can be done during treatments.
• Reduced Risk of Spread or Metastasis: The cancer is less likely to spread to other parts of the body.

Performing Self-Examination

How Often Should You Check Your Skin?

Dermatologists recommend performing a thorough self-check of your entire skin once a month, while remembering that it’s important to have a professional skin cancer screening by a dermatologist completed at least once a year, especially for those with any risk factors.

You can be proactive and follow these steps to perform a self-check, keeping in mind the following- Look for new moles, changes in existing moles, sores, itching, bleeding, or anything unusual on the skin.

How to Perform a Self-Check:

• Schedule self-examination once a month.
• Make sure the room you’re using is well-lit.
• Fully undress to examine all skin.
• Start with the face, neck, chest, and then torso.
• Check the front and back of arms, hands, and under nails.
• Check thighs, shins, ankles, feet, and between toes.
• Use a hand mirror or a loved one to check the back.
• Section hair to inspect the scalp.
• Examine the genital area, buttocks, and between buttocks.

What to Look For During a Self-Check

During your self-check, pay close attention to the ABCDE’s of melanoma, which is the most serious form of skin cancer:

• Asymmetry: Any spots with an irregular shape, with one half unlike the other?
• Border: Does the border of the spot appear blurred or uneven?
• Colour: Does the spot have a mixed colour, with shades of brown, black, red, white, or blue?
• Diameter: Is the spot bigger than 6 millimetres?
• Evolving: Has the spot differed in size, shape, or colour over time?

If anything found appears unusual, it’s best to consult a dermatologist for a professional evaluation.

Risk Factor

Skin cancer can affect anyone, but certain factors can increase your risk such as:

• Having fair skin.
• A history of sunburns.
• Excessive sun exposure.
• A family history of skin cancer.

Making yourself aware of these contributing risk factors can help individuals make informed decisions about their sun exposure and skin health practices.

Sun Safety Tip

Protecting your skin from harmful UV rays is the number one rule in preventing skin cancer.

You should:

• Stay out of direct sunlight when the sun is at its strongest during the day.
• Use sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
• Wear a hat and proper sunglasses for at least 30 minutes during peak sunlight hours or when the UV index is above 3.
• Avoid going to indoor tanning beds.

Practicing these sun safety tips every day can significantly reduce your risk of developing skin cancer.

Empowerment

Empower yourself by performing regular self-checks and getting to know your skin and mole spots to monitor any changes. In this way, you're actively investing in your well-being and skin health. Remember it’s important to spread awareness within your family, as well as social circles. Educating yourself and others about skin cancer prevention will encourage everyone to prioritise their skin health.

Be proactive and make a difference in the fight against skin cancer. Don't wait—start your regular skin checks today!