How Can I Prevent Skin Cancer?

How your dermatologist in Clermont, FL, can help with skin cancer

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. You may have some questions about skin cancer. Your dermatologist has the answers. Dr. David Allyn at Aesthetic Dermatology PA in Clermont, FL, provides comprehensive medical and aesthetic dermatology services, including diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer.

These are some of the most frequently asked questions and answers about skin cancer:

How Can I Prevent Skin Cancer?

There are a few important steps you can take to help prevent skin cancer. You need to:

• Apply a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 every day
• Apply a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 if you spend a long time outside
• Try to avoid being out in the sun during the hours of 10 AM to 4 PM, when UV rays are the most damaging
• Do a self-check of your skin regularly

What Should I Look for When I Do a Self-Check of My Skin?

You need to look for moles that:

• Have a diameter larger than 6 millimeters
• Are asymmetrically shaped
• Have irregular, ragged borders
• Are itching, oozing, or bleeding
• Have grown back after previous removal

What Types of Skin Cancer Are There?

The two most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Malignant melanoma is another type of skin cancer which is more serious and can be fatal.

How Is Skin Cancer Treated?

Your dermatologist can treat skin cancer using a variety of methods, including:

• Cryosurgery, which involves using liquid nitrogen to freeze the lesion
• Curettage and desiccation, which involves using tools to scrape the cancerous tissue and apply electric current to kill any cancerous cells
• Mohs micrographic surgery, which involves removing cancerous tissue layer-by-layer and examining each layer under a microscope
• Radiation therapy, which kills cancerous cells
• Surgical excision, which cuts out the tumor completely
• Chemotherapy, which may be used in combination with surgery and radiation therapy to treat malignant melanoma

To learn more about skin cancer prevention and treatment, talk with an expert. Call Aesthetic Dermatology PA in Clermont, FL. You can reach him in the office by calling (352) 243-2544, so call today.