Cancer is scary. Skin cancer is scary. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a less scary type of cancer because it’s a fact that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
I visited my dermatologist in May (the month of my birthday) to have a skin cancer screening and I learned why it’s so important to have this annual screening. I was aware of the Self-Check and have been doing them – but my approach to the health of my skin was that I would see a dermatologist only when I had a concern about something specific (and not as a preventative measure). My approach has changed after seeing a dermatologist and talking to her while she measured my moles (and wrote them down). I now understand the value of having a trained professional look at my skin every year in order to catch subtle changes that may indicate precancerous conditions. I am not trained to catch the subtle changes that she can catch – and that’s important when you’re trying to prevent skin cancer.
My dermatologist told me:
“most people come to me when there’s an obvious change, like a mole that’s bleeding – and we want to catch skin cancer before it gets to that stage”
Then I read a few facts to further educate myself, and drill it into my mind that my annual skin cancer screening is not something I can skip.
I now have an annual date with my dermatologist every May (the month of my birthday). It’s a gift to myself to invest in preventative care that will improve my health and help me keep my future medical expenses lower. I’m going to ask you again, because it’s so important for you to answer this question:
Have you had your Annual Skin Cancer Screening?
If not, please contact your insurance company or use the Skin Cancer Foundation’s physician finder to schedule an appointment.
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