Cancer Moles
Skin protection: sunscreen isn't enough. Keep an eye on those molesBrian DiMenna Sunblock will help prevent further damage to the skin, but it can't erase the past. Truth is, you likely received 80 percent of your lifetime sun exposure before you were old enough to vote. Still, you can beat skin cancer if it's detected early. According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, golfers should see a dermatologist at least once a year and self-check their skin once a month for malignant melanomas. Here's how:
Check everywhere, and we mean everywhere. Skin cancer has even been found under fingernails and breasts.
To the untrained eye, skin cancer is similar in appearance to harmless moles, even blemishes, or freckles, but early melanomas are asymmetrical and healthy moles are fairly round. The borders of a melanoma are uneven with scalloped or notched edges and can be scaly. Healthy moles have smooth, even borders. Melanomas have many variations in color ( brown, black, beige or tan within the mark) and will get more colorful (even red, white or blue) as the cancer grows. Healthy moles are a single shade of brown. Melanomas also are larger than healthy moles. Anything larger than a quarter of an inch in diameter should be checked.
In addition to visual warning signs, any blemishes that ooze, bleed, crust over or show signs of erosion should be checked by a doctor immediately.
Be particularly leery of any blemish that develops itchiness or dull pain. Itching is the most common symptom of a melanoma.
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