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Taking Steps To Avoid The Development Of Skin Cancers

by Ellen Lucas

If you are extremely active and spend a lot of time outdoors, protecting your skin from the ravages of ultraviolet rays is extremely important. These rays can cause different types of skin cancers. Basal cell and squamous carcinomas are the most common types of carcinomas, but they are treated successfully and are curable. Melanoma is the third most common type of skin cancer and is the deadliest of all skin cancers. Exposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun is squarely blamed for these categories of skin cancers.

Avoid Direct Ultraviolet Rays Of The Sun

Make sure that you are appropriately dressed before you go outside each day. Start your daily routine by applying generous amounts of sunblock or SPF-containing moisturizer on your face. Apply the lotion on other exposed skin areas such as your arm and hands.

Wear cotton clothes that keep you cool while protecting your skin. Cotton pants or a flowing cotton skirt and top are ideal. Always wear a hat that shades your face. Definitely wear sunglasses while you are out and about.

Get A Full Body Scan Every Year

Make it a practice of consulting with a dermatologist, like Vail Dermatology, on a yearly basis. A yearly full body scan can detect early signs of both squamous and basal cell carcinomas. These types of carcinomas are successfully treated when caught early in their development. So if you do spend a lot of time in the sun, be aware that these carcinomas build up over a time period of many years. You can then be treated early before the disease reaches endemic proportions. 

Watch For Skin Changes

Melanocyte-stimulating hormone produces melanin in the basal layer of your epidermis. The epidermis is the outer layer of skin that covers your body surface, and the basal layer is the innermost portion of the epidermis. Melanoma skin cancer originates in the melanocyte cells. You can catch this kind of cancer by looking for any skin changes. If you are a man, melanomas usually appear on your chest and back, according to cancer experts. They note also that if you are a female, you are more prone to developing melanoma lesions on your legs. Melanoma lesions are not limited to those specific areas though and can appear on your neck and face as well. Precautionary measures reinforce the importance of having your skin examined by a dermatologist to detect early signs of melanoma skin cancer.  

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