REPOST: How to Perform a Self-Exam For Skin Cancer

Did you know that it takes just five (5) minutes to do a self-check for skin cancer? Read how from this ABC News article:

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Got 5 minutes? That's all it takes to check yourself for skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the United States.

Though melanoma (the deadliest form of this disease) has been increasing by six percent annually, only 18 percent of women have ever had an annual skin check from a doctor, according to CDC data. Another survey from L'Oréal Paris found that 88 percent of women have never discussed melanoma with their docs and a slim 30 percent do a monthly skin self-exam, as recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation.

If you're guilty of skimping on monthly self-exams, no worries—they're easy! Here's the best way to do an expert-approved check.

Find a Bright Room

The best place to do your monthly check is in a bright room.

"My favorite location is a store dressing room because the lighting is strong and you can use the three-way mirror to see your back and behind," says Franks. But it's perfectly fine if you want to stick to a full-length mirror at home.

Remember 'ABCDE'

Once you've scoped out a spot, start by carefully examining your body front and back in the mirror, then check each side with your arms raised above you. Use the acronym ABCDE to help you pick out suspicious moles, says Franks.

Look for:

Asymmetry -- mole's halves don't match

Borders are uneven

Color isn't uniform

Diameter is larger than size of a pencil eraser (4 millimeters)

Evolution of the mole-growth, inflammation, itching

Check Unlikely Places

Bend elbows and carefully look at forearms, underarms, and palms. Your palms as well as bottoms of feet and nail beds are the places where you're more likely to get acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) —a type of melanoma that hits women of color more than any other group.

Fingers and Toes

Check the backs of your legs and feet, the spaces between your toes, and the soles of your feet. "Don't forget to examine your fingernails and toenails too," Franks stresses. "New and unusual pigmented bands on the nails could be a sign of cancer."

If you spot a vertical line in any shade of brown extending from cuticle to the tip of your fingernail, make sure to check in with your dermatologist.

Above the Shoulders

Examine the back of your neck and scalp with a hand mirror. "It's ideal if you can get a friend or partner to help you and using a blow dryer will give you a closer look," says Franks. Although less than six percent of melanomas pop up on the scalp, they can be deadlier because they're often found at later stages.

Use a Hand Mirror

Instead of standing in front of a wall mirror, use a hand mirror to take a closer look at your back and butt, says Debra Jaliman, MD, a dermatologist in New York City and author of Skin Rules. See anything funky?

"Don't wait to get a mole checked because you never know what it could be," says Jaliman. "I delayed my appointment for four months and it turned out to be melanoma, scary but curable."

Most derms will be able to get you in ASAP if you spot a suspicious mole or lesion.

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REPOST: Young white women still embrace indoor tanning despite cancer risks

This Los Angeles Times article reveals the danger of indoor tanning to women's health.

Image Source: latimes.com

Indoor tanning is a great way to get skin cancer – especially if you start young. People who use tanning beds, sunlamps or tanning booths before age 35 are up to 75% more likely to develop melanoma, and those who begin before 25 may double their risk of other types of skin cancer.

So we are once again surprised to to find that indoor tanning remains popular with the young women whose fair skin makes them the most vulnerable to the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.

The latest evidence comes from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a research letter published online Monday by JAMA Internal Medicine, they report that 29.3% of white high school girls went to an indoor tanning parlor at least once a year, and 16.7% went “frequently” – at least 10 times in a 12-month period. In addition, 24.9% of white women under age 35 indoor-tanned at least once a year and 15% did so “frequently.”

Why is this a problem? As we explained after a 2011 survey by the American Academy of Dermatology found that 32% of white women under the age of 30 had visited a tanning parlor in the previous year (including 8% who did so on a weekly basis):

“The reason tanning turns your skin brown is that it becomes damaged by ultraviolet radiation. This is true regardless of whether those UV rays come directly from the sun or from an artificial source, like a tanning bed or sunlamp. Both short-wavelength UVB and the relatively longer-wavelength UVA damage the DNA in skin cells, increasing the risk of malignant melanoma and squamous and basal cell carcinomas. (And even if you don’t care about cancer risk, consider that UV waves break down the collagen in your skin, causing it to wrinkle.)”

The CDC says indoor tanning is dangerous, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns consumers that the UV radiation from sunlamps and tanning beds “poses serious health risks.” The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer says UV-emitting tanning devices are "carcinogenic to humans." The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agrees, saying that “exposure to sunlamps or sunbeds is known to be a human carcinogen.” (Spray tans seem to be OK, since they don't involve UV radiation.)

The statistics reported in JAMA Internal Medicine were gathered as part of the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the 2010 National Health Interview Survey, both administered by the CDC. Although survey-takers may have been less than truthful about their tanning practices, the researchers found the results troubling.

“Indoor tanning is widespread among non-Hispanic white female high school students and adults ages 18 to 34 years, and the frequent use of indoor tanning is common,” they wrote. “This widespread use is of great concern given the elevated risk of skin cancer among younger users and frequent users.”

What will it take to reverse this trend? California is one of a handful of states that has made it illegal for minors to use tanning beds, and at least 33 states regulate the industry in some way, according to National Conference of State Legislatures. Some cities restrict the use of indoor tanning salons by minors as well.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act aims to discourage indoor tanning by imposing a 10% tax on tanning services, among other things. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has found that peer counseling and videos that emphasize how tanning ages the skin are two interventions that actually work.

A 2010 report in the Archives of Dermatology, however, reported that one out of three indoor tanners could be addicted to the practice. That may help explain why 1 in 50 melanoma survivors told CDC interviewers that they continued to go to tanning parlors.

For more about the dangers of indoor tanning, including the truth behind myths such as “Indoor tanning is safer than outdoor tanning,” and “A base tan will protect me from cancer,” check out this site from the CDC.

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