| With the threat of skin cancer growing greater | | | | moles, sores that will not heal, and lumps on the |
| every year, you need to learn how to protect | | | | skin that cause pain or itching. When it comes to |
| yourself against the disease. | | | | spotting the disease, it is important that you |
| You must get into the habit of covering up your | | | | know your own unique pattern of moles and skin |
| skin with clothing or sunscreen, and not roasting | | | | conditions so that a new growth will be |
| under a baking sun for hours at a time. If you do | | | | immediately apparent to you. |
| spend too much time in the sun, a pigment called | | | | Do a self check once a month so that you are |
| melanin could be your downfall. | | | | familiar with the state of your skin and will be |
| Melanin is the pigment that colours your moles | | | | aware of any changes. |
| and freckles, and it is responsible for soaking up | | | | What does melanoma look like? If it has begun |
| excess UV rays so that your skin does not get | | | | from a normal mole, the differences should be |
| permanently damaged. | | | | easy to spot if you are sure to check regularly. A |
| Melanin can only handle so much, however, and | | | | normal mole is round or ovalish in shape, and will |
| after a time the excess energy it absorbs from | | | | not change drastically in shape or colour over a |
| the sun can cause your skin cells to mutate, | | | | short amount of time. |
| generally at existing moles. To prevent this | | | | While these moles probably will grow after lengthy |
| disease, you must learn to protect your skin from | | | | exposure to the sun, this does not necessarily |
| excess exposure to sunlight! As a backup plan, | | | | constitute skin cancer and there is not generally |
| you will need to know the difference between a | | | | any need to panic if you notice this. The |
| regular mole and melanoma; a common form of | | | | difference between normal moles and melanoma |
| skin cancer. | | | | is the shape and colour. |
| So how can you spot melanoma? It can be | | | | Melanoma will be a dark spot with a ragged edge |
| confusing, since the disease will strike areas of | | | | instead of the usual symmetrical shape, and the |
| your body that are already dark and lumpy, like | | | | colour will probably not be consistent throughout |
| moles. A normal mole is an area built up with | | | | the lump. The shading of the brownish or reddish |
| melanin, stained brown by UV rays. | | | | shape will tend to be darker in one spot and |
| Ever notice how after a long day in the sun you | | | | lighter on the other. |
| develop freckles? That is your melanin pigments | | | | If the mole looks like it has gained a life of its |
| at work, soaking up excess energy from the sun | | | | own and is trying to spread across the entirety |
| and protecting your deeper layers of skin. | | | | of your body, then you are probably right. Get it |
| Without this process, a day in the sun could easily | | | | checked out by your doctor immediately! |
| burn you right down into the dermal layer (normal | | | | Remember that while skin cancer is the most |
| sunburns will affect the uppermost layer of skin, | | | | common form of cancer, it is also the easiest to |
| the epidermis). Melanin is important when it comes | | | | beat. Self check your skin every month to be |
| to protecting you from sun damage, but when | | | | sure that all is well with your own collection of |
| you have been overexposed the pigment cannot | | | | moles and freckles, and if something catches you |
| cope and you may develop melanoma. | | | | off guard, have it looked at right away. |
| There are various signs of melanoma: unusual | | | | |