Here Comes the Sun!

The summer sun is out and shining bright as ever. With all of the sunshine, there are plenty of UV rays to give you quite a tan. The most important thing for the summer time is to remember the sunscreen. There is nothing worse than a terrible burn after a fun day outside. The sunburn that you get today could mean future problems with skin cancer.

One of the most common places to get skin cancer is on the top of your feet. This is because many people forget to put sunscreen is on the top of their feet. Most of us remember to put sunscreen on our face and our shoulders, but we commonly forget our feet because we often just forget to look down.

Skin cancer is a condition that is becoming more prevalent due to the popularity of tanning beds and the idea of getting a dark bronze tan. The reality is that there are many people with lighter complexions that will burn very easily if sunscreen is forgotten and they are outside for even just an hour.

Skin cancer is typically noticed as what looks like a mole that shows up and keeps growing or has an irregular border. If you notice a skin lesion that is changing in shape, it is well worth it to get it checked out. Skin cancer can progress to become a more invasive cancer if it is not dealt with. To test a skin lesion, it is as simple as doing a quick skin biopsy and sending it off to determine if there are any cancerous cells within it. The test will take about 10 days to receive results.

If you or someone you know has noticed a new skin lesion or a change in a current one our office staff would be more than happy to help you schedule an appointment. Our offices see people in the Methuen, North Andover, Tewksbury and Haverhill, Massachusetts. Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to help you get to the bottom of your condition and help you find the best treatment plan.