Any way you cut it, cancer is a scary thing. Next to AIDS, cancer is just about the last thing you want to hear when you are at the doctor's office. Although medical research has come a long way when it comes to treating many forms of cancer, it is still a horrific diagnosis. Throw in the fact that chemotherapy treatment is brutal to undergo, and you have a deadly disease with as nearly a deadly treatment.
As you probably know by now, there are many different forms of cancer. Some are slow growing and treatable, while others prove to be terminal in nearly every case. This leads many to consider some cancers more serious than others. In truth, all cancers are serious and some of the ones that people brush off as not serious can kill you. Skin cancer is one such form.
So, what is skin cancer? A simple description is the abnormal growth of cells on your skin. It tends to be categorized in three ways ? melanoma, basal and squamous. Anyone can get skin cancer, but individuals with fair skin tend to be more susceptible. Dark tans or naturally dark skin do not protect you against skin cancer ? a common misconception.
Of the three types of skin cancer, melanoma is the most aggressive and deadly. Fortunately, it is also the rarest of the three. Melanoma is usually considered to be associated with moles, but not always. The association is often made because melanoma often is found with collections of melanocytes, cells that produce the black pigment found in moles. To the naked eye, it can be difficult to tell the difference between moles and melanoma. If you have moles, and most people do, the key is to watch for any changes to the moles such as expansion, bleeding or itching. If melanoma is not treated early, it can spread to your lymph nodes and then the rest of the body.
Basal cell and squamous skin cancer are more common, but far less deadly. Basal tends to stick to the impacted area of the skin and not spread to the internal body. It should be treated, but is rarely considered a terminal situation. Squamous is a less common than Basal, but packs more of a punch. Although it can spread, it tends to appear as red, open sores when it does. Unless you completely fail to use common sense by seeing a doctor at some point, it rarely makes it to a terminal state.
Unlike many forms of cancer, skin cancer is preventable if you use common sense. If you are going to be outside in the sun for a significant time, wear sun block with a SPF 15 rating or better. Avoid tanning booths, which can cause the same damage as the sun. If you have moles, check them once a month in the mirror for any noticeable changes, bleeding. If a mole starts to itch, it is time to make an appointment with a dermatologist.
Skin cancer is often given short shift when cancer is discussed. In truth, it can be deadly in some forms and thousands of people suffer from it. Many of them don't even know until it is too late. Fortunately, skin cancer is preventable and easily so. It is all about using sunscreen. There is more to it, however, than just applying sunscreen once at the beginning of the day and then forgetting about it. Here are some tips on how you should use it.
1. Early Application ? Sunscreens work in different ways. Some work immediately, while others much sit on your skin for a bit. As a general course, you should apply sunscreen 30 minutes prior to going out in the sun.
2. Reapplication ? Sunscreen protection is dependent on it being on your body. From time to time, you will need to reapply it during the day. How often? Well, read the instructions first. Also, reapply it anytime you go in the water or sweat profusely. This is true even for ?waterproof? sunscreens. As an overall general rule, reapply every two to three hours.
3. Cloudy Days ? Don't be fooled by cloudy days. The vast majority of harmful rays from the sun penetrate the clouds. You should still use sunscreen on cloudy days and follow the reapplication guide above.
4. Your Scalp ? For many of us, we don't have as much hair up there as we perhaps think we do. If you have thinning hair, your scalp is going to take a beating from the sun. Now is not the time to be proud. Use sunscreen or where a hat to keep your scalp from being cooked.
5. Lips ? Finally, nothing is worse then burned lips. Use a lip balm with sunscreen to protect the delicate lip skin.
When heading outside, it is often easy to get lazy and forget to apply sunscreen. Skin cancer is a serious thing, so show some common sense and protect yourself.
John Grimes has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pets, Common Cold and Types of Cancer. John Grimes is with AllTerrainco.com - makers of products for the outdoors.. John Grimes's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.