Doctors in the United States see nearly six million new cases of skin cancer each year. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize how important it is to protect their skin.
It’s not uncommon for me to find an area that looks suspicious when I am caring for a client. Of course, I always let them know they should see a dermatologist. Recently, while my friend Mark was getting a facial, I noticed he had a suspicious area on his nose. I advised him to get it checked out.
Thankfully, he did, because a biopsy showed he had basal cell carcinoma. Basal cell carcinoma begins in the basal cells — a type of cell within the skin that produces new skin cells as old ones die off.
Basal cell carcinoma often appears as a slightly transparent bump on the skin, though it can take other forms. Basal cell carcinoma occurs most often on areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun, such as your head and neck. Although it is not as deadly as melanoma, if left untreated, it can involve larger areas that need to be surgically removed, which in turn can leave scarring or disfigurement. And, if ignored too long, the cancer can metastasize to other parts of the body, which can be life-threatening.
So what should you do?
One of the things that we have at Skin Essentials is a product line that has a high content of vitamin A, but not the kind that we have here in the United States. It’s a fat-soluble form that you can use twice a day to provide extra protection from the sun. Of course, a good sunblock that is not mixed in with your makeup or moisturizer should always be part of your daily routine. This needs to be a separate step.
If you have damage, the same vitamin A in the form of Environ skincare will help. If you have to have surgery, Innovative Skincare has a product called Super Serum that has studies to back up the fact that it helps with scars. I have Mark on that now because he had a very large surgical scar remaining when his cancer was removed.
For those of us lucky enough to live in sunny California, summer skincare is a year-round endeavor. If you are wondering what products are right for you, just give us a call to schedule an appointment, so we can create a personalized routine just for you!
