Protect Your Skin,
Know the Signs

Asymmetry - One half of the spot is unlike the other half.
Border - The spot has an irregular, scalloped, or poorly defined border.
Color - The spot has varying colors from one area to the next, such as shades of tan, brown or black, or areas of white, red, or blue.
Diameter - While melanomas are usually greater than 6 millimeters, or about the size of a pencil eraser, when diagnosed, they can be smaller.
Evolving - The spot looks different from the rest or is changing in size, shape, or color. Although these points are mentioned in the FAQ “what is melanoma” I think it is good to list these.

Melanoma can occur on any skin surface. In men, it’s often found on the skin on the head, on the neck, or between the shoulders and the hips. In women, it’s often found on the skin on the lower legs or between the shoulders and the hips. Melanoma is less common in people with darker skin. When it does develop in people with darker skin, it’s usually found under the fingernails, under the toenails, on the palms of the hands, or on the soles of the feet. Melanoma can be deadly, but is curable with early detection and treatment. It is very important that you check in with a dermatologist about any new or suspicious mole. Most commonly melanoma will appear as a new mole or existing mole that is changing in shape, color or size. Melanomas often are asymmetric in color and shape and have varying shades of pink, brown, black or grey. They tend to change over time. Most start flat and gradually change, but some will arising quickly as a new pink or black -brown bump. Another way to spot melanoma is to look for an “ugly duckling” ie. a mole that looks different than your other moles. Please contact our office if you have a suspicious mole. People who are at higher risk for melanoma are patients who are redheads or have fair skin, have greater than 50 moles, have greater than 6 atypical moles, have a history of using tanning beds, have extensive freckling, have had blistering sunburns in childhood, have had multiple basal cell or squamous cell skin cancers, have a family or personal history of melanoma or a personal history of breast cancer, and those who work outdoors. These types of patients should be seen regularly by a dermatologist.

This is the most common form of skin cancer. Basal cell skin cancer (BCC) usually occurs in areas of chronic sun exposure or areas that have been sunburned. The face and trunk are the most common places to find basal cell skin cancer. In people with fair skin, basal cell skin cancer is the most common type of skin cancer. Basal cell skin cancer generally arises as a pink to whitish (pearly) bump that gradually gets bigger. So look for “pimples” or “bug bites” that fail to go away. Basal cells can also scab and bleed with minimal trauma. So, any spot that bleeds when toweling off or on its own needs to be evaluated. Basal cell can also arise as a flat pink patch that does not go away. This is more common on the trunk and arms. Most basal cell skin cancers are pink but they can be pigmented in patients with darker skin and present with a brown to pink color. The good news about basal cell carcinoma is that it is extremely rare for it to spread. It generally stays confined to the skin but can get bigger and locally invasive if neglected. Again early detection is key. Those that should be screened include patients with a history of sunburns, chronic sun exposure, tanning bed use, a family history skin cancer, extensive freckling, fair complexion, or anyone with a suspicious lesion.

Squamous cell skin cancer (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer. In people with fair skin, squamous cell skin cancer usually occurs on parts of the skin that have had chronic sun exposure, such as the head, face, ears, arms, hands, chest and neck. In people with dark skin, squamous cell skin cancer is the most common type of skin cancer, and it’s usually found in places that are not in the sun, such as the legs or feet. Unlike basal cell carcinoma, most SCCs have a precursor lesion: an actinic keratosis(AK). We can reduce your risk of developing SCC by treating your AKs. AKs are pink, rough, scaly, crusted, or sensitive areas on the face, scalp, ears, arms, and hands that don’t go away. At Dermatology San Antonio we can offer you a variety of treatments to address these precursor lesions including liquid nitrogen, topical treatments, and light treatment.