Strange looking dark spots bothering you? Wondering if you should get your skin checked? It can be hard to tell if that new mole or skin spot is dangerous or not, especially if you don’t have any experience in judging them before. And to make it worse, there is a tonne of information out there but it gets confusing very fast.
Skin cancer, especially melanoma, is a dangerous disease that can strike at any time without warning. That’s why it’s so important to get any weird-looking dark spots checked. In this article, we cover the top 5 reasons why you should get your skin checked.
What is Skin Cancer?
We’ve all heard of cancer, but what is it?
First, we need to know what cancer is. Cancer is a disease that affects your body’s cells. In some cases, your cells will become abnormal and will not stop growing and dividing. These cells can form a bigger mass, referred to as a tumour. This can happen to any of your body’s tissue cells, and so cancer is used as a general term to refer to many different diseases.
Cancer is dangerous and can lead to death because it stops your organs from working. Cancerous cells from a tumour can break off and circulate around your body through the bloodstream or lymphatic system, which is a network of vessels that regulate excess fluid. This causes secondary cancers (metastasis) that can affect vital organs.
Skin cancer happens when your skin cells get damaged. This happens when your skin has too much ultraviolet UV radiation. Things like sunburn, tanning and using solariums are the main causes of this excess UV radiation. According to Cancer Council Australia, sun exposure is the most common cause of skin cancer. Prevent this by using sunscreen, staying in the shade, not being exposed to the sun for long periods, and wearing protective clothing like hats and long-sleeved shirts.
There are 3 main types
- Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) – this cancer stems from the flat cells of your outer layer of skin, the epidermis. This cancer can grow at a fast pace over a few weeks or months.
- Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) – the most common type, with more than two out of three skin cancers diagnosed as BCC. This cancer comes from the bottom layer of your epidermis. It slows growth and has a very low chance of spreading.
- Melanoma – the rarest and most dangerous, this cancer comes from melanocyte cells which give your skin its colour. This cancer spreads at a rapid rate throughout your body.
Why You Need To Get Your Skin Checked
It Can Take Hold In Weeks
Melanoma is very fast-spreading
The first reason to get your skin checked is the speed of growth. When they’re left undiagnosed and untreated, skin cancer can become fatal in a matter of weeks. The one to look out for when getting your skin checked is melanoma. If you are diagnosed with melanoma, there is a high chance that it will not be treatable if it’s not caught early. Melanoma can become life-threatening in as little as 6 weeks, and can be found on areas of your body that are not normally exposed to the sun.
Melanoma is able to spread at a fast rate because it is able to survive in our bloodstream. Studies have shown that the chemical lactate reacts with melanoma cancer cells to create antioxidants that the cells can feed on. Most other cancer cells oxidise once they’re in our bloodstream and die off before they can spread to other parts.
Risk Factors
Age, as well as fair skin are factors that increase the risk of skin cancer
There’s a few things that increase your risk of getting skin cancer. The first is your genetics. Your genetics put you at higher risk if you’re someone that has light or fair skin that doesn’t tan or has freckles. Moreover, family history also means you’re at higher risk.
Working outdoors will make you exposed to sunlight for long periods of time, making your chances of getting skin cancer higher. Remember to use sun protection like sunscreen and protective clothing when doing outdoor work.
Getting a tan seems harmless to most people, but this isn’t true. When you are getting a tan, you expose yourself to lots of UV radiation, which gives you a high chance of skin cell damage.
A final major reason that puts you at risk is your age. The older you get, the higher the chance that you could get it, increasing your need to get your skin checked regularly.
It’s The Most Diagnosed Cancer In Australia
Sunburn is a major sign of cancer susceptibility
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in Australia. Due to our location being close to the equator, Australia has a higher level of UV radiation than other countries. A second reason is the genetics of our population, being majority fair-skinned Europeans whose bodies have not had time to adjust to the climate. And to add onto this general sun overexposure is our culture of doing outdoor activities like going to the beach, exploring the bush, as well as outdoor sport.
Effective Treatment
Even though skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in Australia, it’s not the most lethal. In fact, 95% of cases are treatable, and even for melanoma, there is a 86% survivability rate for men and 92% for women 5 years after diagnosis. Early detection after getting your skin checked will give you a higher chance of treatment that doesn’t involve surgery.
It’s Quick And Easy To Get Checked
It’s simple and effective to get your skin checked
Skin cancer is diagnosed through the shape, colour and size of moles and dark spots in your skin. You can either get specific spots checked out by a doctor or have a full body examination. We recommend getting your skin checked with a full body examination, as there can be dark spots or moles in areas that go unnoticed. A doctor can diagnose you through a skin biopsy if needed.
Don’t Wait, Go And Get Checked!
Speak to your doctor or skin specialist today about your concerns
All those reasons, from having matching risk factors to how easy it is to get checked are why you should get your skin checked. Therefore it‘s recommended that people who are high risk get checked once a year. Your skin specialist will also be able to teach you how to check your skin yourself if you have a new bump or dark spot. If you have low-risk factors, this may be all you need to keep an eye on your skin health.
That’s you need to trust the opinion of an expert. Additionally, using information from the internet is not always reliable and phone apps also cannot be trusted. At Northern Beaches Cosmetic Surgery, we are experienced in getting our patients’ skin checked and in skin mole removal. Contact us to book your full skin examination appointment today.
