TRUE STORY – A patient recently came to me for a Skin Rejuvenation Laser treatment. She had several brown sun spots scattered throughout her face, however, one that really stood out and bothered her. She had been told for years by her primary physician during routine physicals not to worry about it, that it was purely cosmetic. It turns out this larger sun spot was actually a more serious type of skin cancer called Lentigo Maligna Melanoma. I can’t stress this enough – it is so important to have a yearly skin cancer exam performed by a Board Certified Dermatologist who specializes in diagnosing and managing diseases of the skin, hair, nails, and mucous membranes. This is especially crucial for those individuals with a history of sun exposure and tanning bed usage. Sun-damaged skin is more susceptible to bruising from minor injury, wrinkle and blood vessel formation, and often manifests itself as pigment changes such as white spots or brown spots (age spots and freckles). These pigment changes, along with suspicious looking moles and lesions can develop into skin cancer. If you notice any areas of red, discolored or scaly skin, unusual looking sun spots or moles, small pearly nodules, or lesions that don’t heal, have them looked at right away. The ramifications will be much less serious if skin cancer is detected early on.
