Our team at Dermatology & Laser Center of San Diego provides the latest treatments for a variety of skin conditions. But what makes us even happier than providing top-quality treatment is helping those in our care avoid serious skin issues from the start.
Skin cancer screenings are a perfect example. These simple visits are a powerful tool in detecting skin cancer in the earliest stages, when treatment is often more effective. Here’s why you should always make time for your screening.
Everyone should be familiar with how their skin looks and feels. Keeping a close eye on moles or other areas of concentrated pigmentation lets you know when something has changed, which can be an early sign of skin cancer.
Areas of roughly textured skin can also be a sign of cellular change that can eventually become cancerous. Most of us are pretty familiar with the skin on our faces and the easily visible areas. But how many of us are really spending time with a hand mirror, looking into every crease and crevice?
A professional skin cancer screening includes all areas of your body, including the places that you can’t easily reach or see.
Today’s skin cancer screening tools can detect problematic changes even before they transition into skin cancer. This means your practitioner can offer treatment options long before skin cancer has advanced to more dangerous stages.
Treatments are often minimally invasive and can be as simple as using hot or cold temperatures to remove abnormal cells. A biopsy might be needed to determine if cancer is present, and the results will shape your treatment plan.
The earlier you know something is amiss, the better equipped you are to take action.
During your visit, your practitioner will ask about lifestyle factors such as how much time you spend outdoors for work or leisure. They’ll also cover your personal and family history of skin cancer. Based on your answers, in combination with the results of your skin cancer exam, you’ll receive personalized advice on how to reduce your risk levels.
Sunscreen should be part of everyone’s daily routine, no matter where you live or what color your skin is. Anyone can develop skin cancer, and we should all take steps to lower our personal risk.
From wearing a wide-brimmed hat to choosing the right sunglasses, there are always ways to mitigate the effects of ultraviolet rays. Your dermatology specialist can assess your skin and let you know if damage is already apparent, and how to prevent future damage from sun exposure.
If some time has passed since your last skin cancer screening, or if you’ve never had one, our team at Dermatology & Laser Center of San Diego is here to help. These simple screening visits take no preparation and little time. You’ll be back to the rest of your day in around an hour, so there’s no need to delay booking your visit.
The results of your skin cancer screening go into your personal medical file, and we use those results to track changes over time. We can request your records from other practices and send your results from our office to any provider you like.
We offer online booking as one option, but you can also call us to speak with one of our administrative professionals about appointment availability.
