If you’re anything like me, you spend most of your summer under the sun. I hate to admit it, but there have been days where the hours pass under the UV rays and I forget to re-lather my sunscreen. The sun is so powerful and effective even on the cloudiest days; you don’t even realize how much damage it can be doing to your skin. Let’s talk about the importance of skin checks after spending a whole season under the sun.
First of all, find out if skin cancer runs in your family. Have an open conversation with family members about their past with skin cancer, if any. Regular skin checks are most important for those with reduced immunity, people who have had skin cancer before, and people with a strong family history of family skin cancer.
My Personal Experience
The first time I got checked was three years ago on New Years Eve. I would have never done it if my mom didn’t push me too after we had a conversation about how skin cancer runs in our family. I had to get three suspicious freckles removed, and once the biopsy came back, I had to get two of those spots dug out deeper. I had a little freckle removed on my right thigh and I had two pairs of stitches on my right breast for almost two weeks. The dermatologist informed me that it could have turned into skin cancer if I would have left them.
I went again at the end of this summer, and she removed two suspicious freckles. The one on my left arm came back fine, but the one on my lower left wrist had to be dug deeper to remove all particles, as she believed it was an early sign of skin cancer.
The Scars
The scars on my right breast healed beautifully in about a year. I was very insecure about them at first and I hated looking at them. I cried in fear when the dermatologist told me three years ago I would have to get three spots removed. I remember going into the bathroom after and looking at the bandaids, thinking about how they would look in my NYE dress I had planned to wear that night. Looking back on the day now, I was being dramatic and was insecure about them. The one’s on my breast weren’t visible in anything besides a bra or bathing suit, but the other removal on my thigh was visible more often. I covered them in bandaids often when I went out and was very generous in applying the Bacitracin, which helps the wounds heal. This summer, the freckle I got removed on my left arm has no scar at all, however on my left wrist I still have a scar since it had to get removed deeper. I shamefully admit I cover that scar up with bracelets. I know my scars are only noticeable to me, but they are one of my insecurities. I feel embarrassed knowing and telling others I have scars from the sun, almost like it’s my fault I wasn’t taking care of my skin. When I point them out to people, they always say “Wow, I would have never even noticed,” when ironically enough… the scars are what I notice first.
Thinking back to the girl I was when I was so frightened, crying in the dermatologists’ bathroom on New Years Eve, I never thought I would be okay with having these scars on my body. There’s two scars on a vulnerable part of me, my right breast. I have one on my wrist, and my arm. One right in the middle of my thigh. My scars are a part of who I am and they tell a precautionary tale. I know that if I didn’t do anything to remove them, they could have turned into something worse besides just tiny scars.
Over 3.5 million skin cancers are diagnosed in the United States every year. It’s the most common form of cancer in the U.S. and the number of women under 40 who are diagnosed has doubled in the last 30 years. Doris Day, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center says that melanoma (the most deadly form of skin cancer) is one of the leading causes of cancer death in women 25 to 29 years old. Look for a new, expanding, or changing growth spot or bump, a sore that bleeds and/or doesn’t heal after several weeks, or a mole that is changing size, shape, or color. There’s hidden areas like between the toes, the scalp, behind the ears, backs of the legs, and palms of the hands. You might not be able to catch an unusual freckle, but a professional will. Not catching skin cancer can be deadly and a skin check at your dermatologist can literally save your life, and you’ll have the scars to prove it.