By Carla Trail, Nurse Practitioner
A yearly skin check can save your life.
I’m not one for over-hyping and sensationalizing, but this really is a necessary step that can simply save your life. Get a skin check at least once a year!
How old should you be? By the time you are 30 or older you definitely need to make an appointment with me to get a yearly skin check. But honestly, it’s never too early to start getting checked. I had a melanoma at our McMinnville clinic on a 21-year old a couple months ago. Just last week I sent off 4 biopsies in a row.
So many times people come in for something else and I’ll do a skin-check anyway, and we catch something. I cannot emphasize enough just how important it is to come in for skin checks and if you see something and you aren’t sure, come see me.
The skin is the largest organ of the body and it’s estimated that 1 in 5 people will develop skin cancer – this is a huge percentage and likely means that if not you, then someone you know will be affected.
Now, here is the good news. There are some very common sense steps you can take to help:
First – Wear your sunscreen! I know, you have that vision for that nice tan body. I’m going to paint you a better vision: a cancer-free body, with healthy skin that will look younger as you age. Follow your sunscreen directions for application and re-application. One application for 6 hours at the beach will not work.
Second – Try to stay covered when you are going to be in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time. Hats, rash guards for the beach, etc.
Third – I’ve said it and I’ll say it again and again – get your yearly skin check. Come see me at Fast Pace Dermatology in Coffee and Warren counties.
We accept pretty much any insurance you can think of. Go ahead and call any of our offices such as McMinnville (931-259-4144) or Tullahoma (931-563-5469) and they can make appointments for you, or you can make one online at fastpacehealth.com
