Many people have moles on their bodies. It may be difficult for you to tell the difference between a common mole and a concerning mole. Dysplastic nevi are atypical moles that have a greater chance of becoming skin cancer. The medical term “nevi” is the plural form of “nevus”, and a nevus is another name for a mole. Find out…
Accounting for greater than 90% of all skin cancers occurring among Americans, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most prevalent type. While it rarely metastasizes (spreads) to other sites in the body, BCC may cause damage to surrounding tissues. Find out about the warning signs of BCC, the causes of BCC, risk factors for BCC, and BCC prevention measures. Generalized…
Actinic Keratosis Currently, there are more than 58 million Americans affected by the skin condition known as actinic keratosis. This common skin cancer precursor is characterized by crusty or scaly lesions, which are caused by the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays. Doctors often refer to this skin disorder as solar keratosis. What is Actinic Keratosis? Actinic keratosis (commonly referred to as…
Protecting you children from the sun is one of the most important things you can do to ensure they maintain healthy skin. Young children are at a high risk for sun damage because their skin pigmentation is still weak. As your children age, their skin pigmentation becomes stronger. However, that does not mean they can spend endless hours in…
Simply put, sunburn is a skin inflammation that can have serious consequences if it occurs repeatedly. A sunburn is the result of overexposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or overuse of an ultraviolet tanning lamp or tanning bed. The eyes also incur damage from a burn. In the United States, sunburns are extremely common. The Centers for…
Anyone who ventures out into the sun without sunscreen is at risk for sun damage. It is important to realize that there are several types of sun damage. Some damage is barely noticeable, but other types, such as skin cancer, can have devastating effects. Certain skin types and ethnic groups are at a higher risk for developing sun damage,…
How do I Protect Myself from UV Rays? There are several ways to protect against ultraviolet (UV) rays, although some people require more protection than others. The most important thing to remember, when you are exposed to UV rays, is that your skin may be being damaged even with sunscreen. To learn way to safely enjoy those sunny days spent…
Skin Self-Exams The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that everyone do monthly head-to-toe self-examination of their skin. This is to find any new or changing lesions that could be precancerous or even cancerous. When you find skin cancer early, it is almost always curable. Find out about the warning signs of skin cancer and what to look for when you do…
Skin Cancer Symptoms Some forms of skin cancer affect more than one million Americans every year. The most common of all cancers is skin cancer, and it develops when normal skin cells uncontrollably transform, grow and multiply into abnormal lesions or tumors. Tumors are only considered cancerous if they are diagnosed as being malignant. Malignancy means atypical cells crowd and…
Quick Facts about Skin Cancer Considered the most prevalent form of cancer reported in the U.S., an excess of three million skin cancers are professionally diagnosed in over two million people every year.Annually, there are more reported instances of skin cancer than the incidences of lung, colon, prostate and breast cancers combined. General Skin Cancer Facts Twenty percent of…