Skin checking is examining your skin to see if there are any unusual changes, moles, or lesions on it. This defines a proactive approach to assess and detect any signs of cancer, such as melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Overall, it’s a systematic way of examining the whole surface of your body, including unexposed areas to the sun, to see the traces of cancerous cells.
Purpose of Skin Checking Defined
However, this has been aforesaid. Skin checking is done with a purpose. These points will let you know what it is.
- Early Detection of Skin Cancer
The first and foremost purpose of skin examination is to timely discover if there is any sign of dreadful cancer. Early detection can significantly improve save a life and the person can recover completely.
Here, the concern is that some particular types of cancerous cells like melanoma can aggressively grow and become a threat to life. Regular skin check-ups can help doctors to notice changes in moles or the development of new lesions that need medical attention in time.
- Monitoring Changes in Moles
Having moles on the skin are common and most of them are found harmless. However, the gradual changes in their size, shape, colour, and texture can be an indication that they are life-threatening. For moles examination, doctors, and even individuals follow the ABCDE criteria, which stands for Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Colour changes, Diameter, and Evolution. It can be helpful to determine any disease.
- Identification of Suspicious Lesions
Moles are not the only thing that require medical inspection. Unusual lesions, spots, or growths can also be a sign that you require medical care. Most of suspicious lesions may be characterised through irregular borders, uneven colouration, and rapid growth. If you see any of these changes on your surface, just go ahead and get your medical evaluation done.
- Sun Damage Awareness
No one needs an introduction to the damage that UV rays do to the skin. They are harmful. Here, the noticeable point is to recognize the chronic sun exposure. This is actually a vital factor that put the skin at the risk of cancers. To get rid of this and take preventive measures, regular check-ups are must-haves. Simultaneously, you can avoid going out unscreened. Apply sunscreen and cover your skin with a piece of cloth.
- Facilitation of Early Intervention
Early detection and medical intervention can save you from facing an ugly phase of painful therapies. Regular skin assessment can help you to identify abnormalities or imperfections, which can be further discussed with a certified medical practitioner during consultation and find if it requires further diagnostic procedures.
If there is any serious malady, it can be detected in the early stages. It means that they can be curable.
- Reducing Health Care Costs
The cost of treatment after early detection of any severe skin condition will be way lower than the cost associated with advanced stage treatment. If you thoroughly research, preventive measures and early interventions cost way lower than the treatment of advanced diseases. Some countries provide bulk-billing, which makes it inexpensive to come out of any health condition that is covered.
- Promotion of Sun-Safe Practices
Many of us don’t bother about the sun’s harmful rays. Though, we all know how bad it is to expose ourselves in the sun a lot. But, we ignore this knowledge. Being regular with skin examination encourages individuals to shield their skin with sun-safe practices. These practices include applying the prescribed sunscreen formula, covering the exposed areas, putting sunglasses and protective clothing, and avoiding sun during peak sun hours.
- Education and Awareness
Education and awareness are the keys to intervene and prevent something bad from happening to your skin. The regular check-ups raise awareness about various conditions and their causes. Even, people start falling in love with skin protection practices, as a skin specialist always stays ready with their skin-safety tips. Those who have the family history of any skin conditions or sunburn should be aware of the importance of the medical assessment.
How to Perform Skin Checking?
Upon learning the value of skin assessment, it is necessary to be self-aware and educated. These tips can help you to self-check your own surface.
- Check in a Well-Lit Room
Select a well-lit room with a mirror to self-assess your skin.
- Undress Completely
In order to properly examine, put off your dress completely. It may be helpful to have a handheld mirror to view areas that are not easily visible.
- Use a Full-Length Mirror
Stand in front of your mirror and check the front and back, while focusing on the face, neck, chest, arms, legs, backs, scalp, and abdomen.
- Check Your Private Areas
Pay attention to the genital area, buttocks, and the spaces between the toes and fingers.
- Note Changes or Abnormalities
While performing the examination, find out if there are any changes, new moles, or suspicious lesions. Use the ABCDE criteria to assess moles: Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Colour changes, Diameter, and Evolution.
- Seek Professional Evaluation
Visit a certified healthcare professional who should be an experienced GP or skin specialist to further evaluation your skin condition. Talk to him straightaway while disclosing any medical history, if you have.
Conclusion
Skin checking is a proactive and essential practice for the early detection of skin cancers. By incorporating regular self-examinations into one’s routine, individuals can play a vital role in maintaining their skin health, identifying potential issues early on, and seeking timely medical attention when necessary. Skin checking is a simple yet powerful tool for promoting overall well-being and reducing the impact of skin cancers through early intervention and preventive measures.