Sun damage catches up with you! No matter how diligent you are with sunscreen now, the sun-burned skin of summer’s past plays a critical role in your risk for developing skin cancer today. And we are all at risk!
- 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70
- 2 people die of skin cancer every hour.
- Your risk of melanoma doubles if you’ve had more than 5 sunburns in your lifetime
- When detected early, the 5-year survival rate from skin cancer is 99%
- A 15-minute skin check appointment can save your life!
The good news is there is a lot you can do to help minimize your chance of serious illness from skin cancer. In honor of Skin Care Awareness month, we’ve put together an action plan to safeguard your skin!
Your Skin Cancer Prevention Plan
Yearly Skin Checks: We highly recommend an annual skin cancer screening with one of our Board Certified Dermatologists. If you have a personal or family history of skin cancer, or a history of tanning bed use, we recommend a visit twice a year to ensure early detection.
Full Body Photography: Keep track of your moles using cutting-edge SkinIO technology. This app-based technology uses artificial intelligence to photograph and monitor pre-cancers during and in between visits with your dermatologist. Having a smart digital skin health record with photos and dermoscopic images is a game-changer for early skin cancer detection.
Photodynamic Therapy: Precancerous lesions, otherwise known as actinic keratoses, can be eliminated and prevented with photodynamic therapy, or PDT, which uses the blue light wavelength to react with a topical preparation to destroy precancerous cells. We use this treatment on high-risk patients to reverse sun damage and prevent precancerous and skin cancer lesions
Sunscreen: Sun exposure causes skin cancer so it’s no surprise that sunscreen is an essential part of our skin cancer prevention plan. Plus, with everyday use, not only will you be protecting your skin from cancer, you’ll be preventing the signs of aging – win/win! The best sunscreen is the one you will wear everyday, just be sure it’s SPF 30 or above. We have many formulas for a variety of skin types in our Brilliant Boutique. Visit us to view our carefully curated sunscreen selection.
Skin cancer should always be taken seriously, and your skin check appointments are essential to your long term health. Most annual skin checks are covered by insurance. Call us to schedule your skin exam with our Board Certified Dermatologists!
