Though we have previously discussed the importance of detecting skin cancer early on, as well as the importance of taking steps to protect yourself, it is critical to understand the various ways to reduce your risk of skin cancer. At Allen-Taintor Dermatology, we are passionate about protecting your health. If you are worried about the risk of skin cancer, you should consult with our experienced team for more information and to schedule an exam with us. There are many various skin conditions and skin cancer is one of the most devastating ones out there. Reducing the risk of skin cancer is extremely important.

Visit a Dermatologist

It is important to ensure that you see our professional team on an annual basis. This will help to ensure that a professional skin exam can be completed in order to help you to catch signs early on. By visiting a dermatologist, you can ensure that a thorough skin exam is completed. Schedule an exam with us at least once a year in order to protect yourself and your health.

Wear Sunglasses

While many people understand the impact that the sun can have on the skin, fewer are aware that it can also impact the health of your eyes. Wearing sunglasses is incredibly important when you are outside. This can help to prevent UV rays from burning your eyes, which can lead to both discomfort and substantial health issues. Ensure that you wear sunglasses that are designed specifically to block UV rays. It is also important to ensure that your sunglasses are functional and capable of enhancing your comfort. This can also be particularly beneficial when you are driving, as the sun can lead to hazardous driving conditions.

Seek Shade

Whenever possible, you should try to spend time in the shade while you are outside. This can help to reduce your risk of skin cancer, by reducing the amount of UV rays that will come into contact with your skin. This is especially important between the hours of 10a.m. and 4 p.m. During this time frame is generally when the rays from the sun are the strongest. Staying in the shade can substantially help to protect your skin. If you are worried that the shade will be rather sparse, you can bring an umbrella or other fixture to provide shade.

Wear Sunscreen

Sunscreen is an incredibly important component of reducing your risk of skin cancer. It is important to wear sunscreen whenever you intend to spend time out in the sun. In general, you will want to ensure that you put sunscreen on approximately 30 minutes before you will actually be exposed from the sun. This ensures that the sunscreen will be as effective as possible. It is also important to make sure that you reapply the sunscreen on a regular basis. Sunscreen won’t last indefinitely and ensuring that you reapply it on a consistent basis will help to ensure the best possible protection for your skin.

Sun-Protective Clothing

It can be beneficial to ensure that you use clothing that will provide adequate protection for your skin. Though it can be tempting to wear minimal clothing in warmer temperatures, you will want to ensure that you wear clothing that will cover as much of your skin as possible. For example, long sleeves can help to reduce the amount of skin that is exposed to the UV rays from the sun. The right clothing can go a long way toward reducing your risk of skin cancer and preventing damage to your skin. Ensure that exposed areas of your skin are covered thoroughly with sunscreen.

Be Careful in Certain Areas

It can be easy to overlook the importance of sunscreen during the winter. However, there are certain times in which you have to be especially cautious regarding the health of your skin. When you are standing somewhere near water, sand, or snow, you need to ensure that you have your skin appropriately protected. UV rays can reflect off of these surfaces, which can amplify the amount of damage that occurs to your skin. By protecting your skin around these fixtures, you can provide the best possible protection for your skin.

Avoid Tanning Beds

It is similarly important to avoid the use of tanning beds. Even if the tanning methods are artificially created, they can still cause damage to the health of your skin. By avoiding tanning beds, you will be able to reduce damage to your skin. If you prefer the appearance of a tan, there are always self-tanning lotions that can be implemented to provide the appearance of the tan, without causing damage to your skin. Tanning beds are highly capable of causing damage to your skin and increasing your risk of skin cancer.

Wear a Hat

Hats can be an additional method for providing extra coverage for your skin. Choose hats that have a wide brim that will help to shade your face from the sun. This can go a long way toward preventing damage that may otherwise occur to your skin.

Examine your Skin Regularly

It is important to hold regular skin exams to detect the presence of skin cancer in the early stages. Skin cancer is often much more treatable early on than when it is allowed to progress. Learn how to screen your skin and ensure that you do so regularly. Remember your ABCDEs so that you can detect potentially malevolent moles early on. This is extremely important in protecting your health and ensuring that you can detect the presence of skin cancer in the early stages.

Taking the steps to reduce your risk of skin cancer is extremely important in protecting your health. At Allen-Taintor Dermatology, our team is dedicated to providing you with the services to reduce your risk of skin cancer and improve the overall health of your skin. To learn more about our services or the steps you can take to reduce the risk of skin cancer, contact our team at Allen-Taintor Dermatology today!

 

When you screen your skin on a regular basis, you will likely be able to detect abnormalities and other issues in the early stages. This often helps to provide the best possible chances of treatment when skin cancer arises. It is important to regularly screen your skin, as well as obtain examinations from your dermatologist. This can go a long way toward protecting your health and preventing substantial issues from impacting your life.

The Importance of Regular Skin Screenings

Regular skin screening help to catch skin cancer in the early stages. The sooner you are able to find the signs of skin cancer, the more treatable the cancer will likely be. This helps to provide the best possible outcome for you. Checking your skin on a monthly basis could potentially save your life, so it is important to ensure that you do so. This step will also help you to familiarize yourself with your skin, so that you will be able to notice when changes appear.

How to Screen your Skin

When you screen your skin, it is important to ensure that you have good lighting. The better the lighting is, the more likely you will be able to find differences in your skin. Without the appropriate lighting, important changes may be undetectable. You will also likely want to use a full-length mirror. For more difficult to see areas, you may need an additional handheld mirror or to obtain assistance from a family member or close friend. You will need to completely undress in order to examine every area of your skin. It is important to check the various areas of your body in order to find changes to your skin in the early stages.

Important Areas to Check

It can be easy to miss places when you attempt to screen your skin. It is crucial to keep in mind that cancerous growths aren’t only in places that are regularly exposed to the sun. You need to check every place of your body, not just the places that aren’t regularly covered by clothing. You will have to examine the face and the scalp for abnormalities. When checking your arms, it will be important to ensure you check both the front and back. This includes the armpits, as well. The hands should be checked thoroughly, both the front and back, in between the fingers, and underneath the fingernails. Check your legs, between your toes, and on the soles of your feet. These tend to be the most common areas where growths appear, so ensure that you check each of them thoroughly.

What to Look For

Understanding the signs to look for will go a long way toward ensuring that you catch them in the early stages. You will need to familiarize yourself with your skin so that you are aware when changes occur. Pay particular attention to new moles, especially if they have appeared after the age of 25. You will also need to search for moles that have increased in size or had a change to their outline, resulting in an uneven border. Spots that change from brown or black are important to take note of. It is also important to be aware of a spot that has become raised or has developed a lump within it. Any spot that looks different from other spots will need to be seen by your dermatologist.

Ensure that you carefully examine moles on your body. When the surface of a mole becomes rough, ulcerated, or scaly, you should have it examined by a professional. Also pay attention to how the mole feels. If it itches, tingles, bleeds, or weeps, it is highly likely that there is an issue with it.

Learn your ABCDE’s

Melanoma is often considered the most malevolent type of skin cancer. It is important to be aware of the signs of melanoma so that you can obtain treatment as soon as possible. When searching for melanoma, you will want to learn the signs that are known as the “ABCDE’s.” The A stands for asymmetry. Be cautious when your mole isn’t symmetrical. The B stands for borders. Pay attention to the borders of your moles. If they have expanded or are otherwise uneven, it is likely that there is an issue.

The C stands for color. It is important to note various changes in color, because they will indicate issues. D stands for diameter. Cancerous moles are generally larger than harmless ones. If the mole is larger in diameter than the eraser at the end of a pencil, you will need to have it examined by a professional. Finally, the E stands for evolution. If the mole has changed or looks different than it was before, it may very wall be cancerous. If your mole has any or all of these symptoms, you will want to have it examined by a dermatologist.

Visit your Dermatologist

If you notice any of these warning signs or spots during your skin screening, it will be critical to ensure that you have them examined by a dermatologist. This will help to ensure that cancerous spots, moles, or lumps can be detected in the early stages, when it is more likely to be treatable. This is an important step in protecting your health if you think that you may have the signs of skin cancer. It is also important to take the steps to protect your skin when you come into contact with the sun. Ensure that you always wear sunscreen and cover your skin as much as possible.

It is extremely important to regularly screen your skin for the signs of skin cancer. This will help to ensure that these signs are found in the early stages, when the cancer is more likely to be treatable. At Allen-Taintor Dermatology, we offer an array of services to keep your skin in the best possible condition. To learn more about our dermatology services and how they can help to protect your skin, contact our experienced team at Allen-Taintor Dermatology today!

Summer is right around the corner, at Allen-Taintor Dermatology, we take skin care seriously! If you’ve been out in the sun, it’s a good reminder to start protecting your skin before the high heat strikes. Did you know that between 40-50% of Americans will develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime? The Skin Cancer Foundation has been providing excellent information since 1979 on how to protect your skin and reduce your risk of developing skin cancer. Here are some of our tips we recommend all patients follow this summer.

Tip # 1 – Find Shade

Splash pads have grown in popularity over the years, but not many of them have shade options for adults and children to seek shelter from the heat. We recommend you bring some shade umbrellas with you to make sure you have a place to protect your skin. Shade is essential, especially during those high heat hours of the day from 10AM to 4PM.

Leave an umbrella in your car to use as an emergency sunshade if you do happen to forget your sunscreen.

Tip # 2 – Use Sunscreen

If you want to truly protect your skin, always lather up with sunscreen. Plenty of sunscreen is designed to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays. Purchase sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection of at least 30 or higher. Remember to re-apply the sunscreen every 30 minutes or so, especially if you do get your skin wet. Apply at least one ounce of sunscreen to your body each time you re-apply the sunscreen to keep your skin protected.

One more tip about sunscreen, consider putting it on in your vehicle. Those car windows do not block out the sun’s rays, and you can end up with a serious burn if you are driving for several hours.

Tip # 3 – Do Not Burn!

We cannot stress this enough! Burning your skin can lead to an increased risk of skin cancer. Plus, burning the skin can be painful and can take a few days to feel better. If you do end up burning your skin, apply Aloe Vera to the skin to soothe the burn. There are several lotions and creams available that will help to moisturize the skin and aid in the healing process.

Tip # 4 – Wear Clothing

Swim cover-ups are a great way to help cover and protect the skin from the sun. Of course, we recommend always wearing clothing to keep your skin covered, but the hot Utah weather doesn’t always allow for long pants and shirts in the summer!

Tip # 5 – Inspect Your Skin

Purchase a full length mirror and take a look at your skin. If you notice any freckles that seem to be larger in size or darker in color, give Allen-Taintor Dermatology a call. Look for anything that seems out of the ordinary to make sure your skin is doing okay. We recommend scheduling a consultation with our Ogden skin cancer office for a screening. We can note all of the freckles and areas that may seem like “warning spots” for cancer concerns.

Yearly skin cancer screenings is one of the best ways to ensure your skin will remain healthy, and you will be able to receive early treatment for any skin cancer concerns.