Page 23 - 366242 LP246366 BB Magazine 36pp A4 (August 2022)

CAN YOU SPOT THE DIFFERENCE?
Q: Can you spot the difference between a non-cancerous lesion, precancerous lesion and a cancerous lesion?
A: To be blunt, probably not unless you are an expert in the field of dermatology.
Skin Happy is an advocate of sun safety, raising awareness on how to prevent and spot skin cancer.
I get a lot of clients asking me to take
a quick look or to give them a second opinion on all sorts of skin lesions, from flat, raised, rough and itchy lesions to weird and wonderful coloured marks, lumps and bumps.
Just to clarify: ‘A skin lesion is a part of the skin that has an abnormal growth or appearance compared to the skin around it.” (Referenced from healthline.com)
Skin Happy Screening Service
To establish if your moles or skin lesions are OK or not, I teamed up with Screen Cancer UK to provide a mole and skin lesion screening service. I conduct a brief consultation and take images using their dermatoscope I then send this digitally using their secure system. Their dermatology specialists analyse the images and report the results directly back to you in a matter of 3-4 working days. Its quick, easy, completely pain free and gives you peace of mind.
My advice is, get it checked!
• If your mole or skin lesion is not
symmetrical, get it checked.
• If your mole or skin lesion has irregular, ragged or a blurred border to it, get it checked.
• If your mole or skin lesion has different colours or shades within it, such as brown, black, blue, white, or red, get it checked.
• If your mole or skin lesion has a diameter greater than 6mm, get it checked.
• If you notice that your mole or skin lesion is evolving, growing, or changing shape recently, get it checked.
• If your mole or skin lesion causes you any symptoms or sensations get it checked.
Signs and symptoms of cancer image
Why should I be checking
my skin lesions?
Simply put, prevention is better than cure! It is quite a worrying fact that since the early 1990s, according to Cancer Research UK, melanoma skin cancer incidence rates have more than doubled (140%) in the UK. Also 86% of melanoma skin cancers are preventable.
Prevention is better than cure
To enjoy the sun safely follow the five s’s of sun safety:
• 1. SLIP on a t-shirt to keep shoulders covered as they can easily burn.
• 2. SLOP on a quality, broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 30 or above) to exposed skin. (e.g Lynton Light Protect SPF 50 or Alumier SPF 40-42. Can be purchased within Skin Happy.)
• 3. SLAP on a wide brimmed hat to shade the face, neck and ears.
• 4. SLIDE on quality sunglasses to protect the eyes.
• 5. SHADE - seek shade when possible, particularly during peak UV hours (11am-3pm).
Above: In clinic image of me carrying out a screening on a gentleman.
Top image: Types of cancer image.
HERE TO HELP YOU TO BECOME CONFIDENT, CAREFREE AND SKIN HAPPY.
Skin Happy, 42 High Street, Linlithgow Tel: 01506 888138 www.skinhappy.co.uk
E: info@skinhappy.co.uk
SkinHappy skinhappyme
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