Nevi are abnormalities in the skin that show up immediately after birth or during the first weeks of life. If we have a lot of them, it is easy to confuse them with skin cancer – melanoma. It is very important to take proper care of moles and control them. You can find out how to do this by reading the following article.
Melanoma is a skin cancer. What’s more, it’s one of the cancers that affect people most often. What this type of cancer has in common is that when detected early, it is almost certain to be cured. For this reason, it is worth keeping an eye on moles, as melanoma is often mistaken for them.
The main risk factor for skin cancer is exposure to sunlight without adequate protection. Despite growing awareness of the importance of using sunscreen, there are still many people who forget or downplay this. Such behavior promotes the formation of melanomas on the skin. In addition, tanning beds, which rely on UV radiation, can be dangerous in this regard.
An increased risk of skin cancer affects people who suffered sunburns in childhood. They, in particular, should look at their skin. Melanoma likes to show up on fair-skinned skin and in areas where moles are irritated by clothing. Genetic predisposition is also important – melanoma, like any cancer, is more common in people with a family history of the problem.
In order to avoid health problems and not expose ourselves to heavy treatment for skin cancer at a late stage, we should check our moles ourselves once a month. In this way we can detect melanoma at an early stage, which allows us to cure it completely. Once the cancerous lesion is diagnosed, we should go to a surgeon who will remove it. If the thickness of the melanoma is no more than 1 millimeter, there is a very good chance that you will get rid of it for life.
Skin cancer is characterized by the fact that it is asymmetrical. Its shape is not oval. Its edges are jagged and do not stand out clearly from the skin. The color of the melanoma is non-uniform, and the whole is more than 6 millimeters in diameter. In addition, the nevus quickly changes its size and shape, as well as thickness and color.
To take care of nevi, first of all, it is necessary to take all precautions when exposed to the sun. It is necessary to lubricate yourself with a high sunscreen, and it is best to avoid the sun’s rays between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Do not visit tanning beds too often, and if there are genetic burdens, it is better to avoid them altogether. In addition, you need to get yourself examined often, and if there are a lot of nevi, it’s a good idea to go regularly to a dermatologist so that he or she can assess them with an expert eye and check whether they are harmless.
main photo: unsplash.com/Angélica Echeverry
