Summertime and the livin’ is easy. Well, not for your skin, especially here in sunny Houston! Your skin is under constant bombardment from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Those rays are aging your skin, but even worse, they’re creating skin cancers. Here are some questions and answers about skin cancer.
UVA vs. UVB
You see the labels on sunscreen. Some say they block UVB rays. Others say they are broad based. You need a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Why? They both are beating up your skin. UVA rays penetrate the epidermis and affect the dermis beneath, causing your skin to age and creating the beginnings of skin cancer. UVB rays cause sunburn on the epidermis and also lead to the topical skin cancer lesions.
If you get skin cancer you die.
Not true. Most skin cancers, if detected early enough, are all treatable with surgery. That’s why yearly visits to Dr. Kronberg are necessary, so she can spot the cancers and pre-cancerous spots before they progress.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer
This is true. In the U.S. over one million people each year are diagnosed with skin cancer. Probably double that or more are undiagnosed.
Sunscreen prevents skin cancer
Nope. Sunscreen helps block the rays than lead to skin cancer, but just because you have on sunscreen doesn’t mean you can spend every waking minute in the sun without repercussions. Sun damage is cumulative.
If you have lots of moles, you have a higher risk of melanoma
This is true. People with moles, especially large ones, have a higher risk of melanoma. Those moles need to be checked constantly to see if they change shape or color.
Yearly visits to Dr. Kronberg are the key to beating skin cancer. Call us today at 713-771-8941 to schedule your appointment.
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