If you want to know how healthy you are, the first thing to see is your skin. Skin health is very important to the overall well-being of a human. For instance, skin rashes and lesions are not just skin issues, but a catalyst for other diseases like skin cancer as well.
Cause
Symptoms related to skin cancer may include, but not limited to, pain, fatigue, weight loss and hair loss. Most skin cancers are a result of altered or damaged DNA due to factors such as UV rays from sunlight, pollution, use of chemicals and so on. You can easily reduce the risk of getting skin cancer by avoiding direct sunlight through appropriate clothing and sunscreen. Any type of changes to the skin needs to checked regularly. If you notice that a mole on the skin is growing, has irregular borders or causing irritation, it needs to be checked immediately. Not treating cancer at an early stage will lead to cancer cells spreading to the rest of the organs. Remember that, final stage skin cancers are hard to treat or incurable just like any other cancer.
Skin cancer can develop anywhere without warning. When the area of the skin is exposed to sun, the cancer cells begin to grow. It can happen on the scalp, ear, face, lip, arm, neck, hand or leg. And it can also form in areas that are usually not exposed to sunlight, such as palms, toenails and genital areas. Skin cancer affects people irrespective of their skin tone, race although people with lighter complexions are more susceptible than those with darker complexions.
Certain chemicals that you use on a regular basis like shampoo, cleaning products or sprays can also cause skin cancer. Here, you experience low-dose and long term exposure. This type of exposure to difficult to curb unless you become aware of it in the beginning.
Cure
With modern treatments available for skin cancer, you can expect to get the best cure and live healthily for a lifetime. Along with regular checkup, you need to make sure that cancer does not recur at any time. For this, your treating physician will make sure that the treatment prescribed is tailored to your needs and health condition.
Skin cancer can be cured in many ways, such as surgery, topical cream, pills, chemotherapy, radiation and other non-surgical procedures. Be aware, though, that not all treatment types are safe, and many dermatologists prescribe non-surgical methods before resorting to surgeries. Chemotherapy and radiation are mainly used on an aggressive form of skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma and melanomas. There are other viable alternatives for curing skin cancer, especially in its early stage. For more information on this topic click here.
Care
After skin cancer treatment or surgery, it is necessary that you care for the skin regularly. It is important to hydrate. Get in the habit of drinking water or natural fruit juice when you are thirsty or your skin feels dry. Avoid tanning of any form, be it outside or inside in a salon. Sunburns are not just harmful but the source of aggressive forms of skin cancer. They also cause premature aging and damage to the immune system.
So, cover your skin with appropriate clothing preferably made of cotton in the summer. Those with a family history of skin cancer should avoid sun exposure at all cost. Although sunscreen products are controversial, using an organic or herb-based sunscreen is beneficial to some extent. In essence, save sunscreens for times when you have to be under the sun for a long period of time.
