When was the last time you came in for a skin checkup? If it’s not been relatively recently, then you’re probably due to an appointment. Making sure your skin is healthy is just as important as getting your annual physical, or biannual checkups from your dentist. To achieve an optimum state of health, your whole body needs to be healthy – which, of course, includes your skin! And, routine skin checkups help to ensure that if there ever is an issue we can catch it before it goes any further.
Early Detection Is the Key to Risk Reduction
As with all health issues, if the problem is caught early, there are typically more treatment options available. For example, if you have a tiny cavity, it is easy for your dentist to fix but, if it is left untreated, you could be putting the entire tooth at risk. The health of your skin is no different – if we can find a problem when it is in its earliest stages, then it is much more likely to be treatable than if it is left to get worse or progress.
To give you the best chances of reducing the risk of problems turning into something more, you need to make sure that you take the health of your skin as seriously as the rest of your body. After all, your skin is exposed to a LOT – sediments in the air, sun exposure, the chemicals we clean with, and so much more. All of these moments of exposure add up over time and can damage our skin. By having regular annual checkups, we can make sure that everything on your skin is safe to be there.
Times When You Need to Come In Between Checkups
There are some specific times when you need to come in to see us in between your regular checkups. If you notice any of these issues, it is important to call us and set up an appointment to get checked out.
- Moles That Change: When you have a mole on your skin that begins to change, you need to take note or have us take a look. It could be larger, become a different shape, or even add colors to it. When it goes from one color to multiple, it is important that you have us look to make sure it is normal growth.
- Uncured Itches: When you notice that your skin gets itchy and it will not go away, that could be the sign of dermatitis or even the early signs of skin cancer.
- Unexplained Scar Tissue: If you notice a random scar show up on your skin but have no recollection of how you got the scar, you need to reach out to us. We will want to look at the scar tissue and make sure it is not some other type of abnormal growth.
- Colored Spots: When your skin develops redness that does not go away or you get different colored spots, we should take a look. While we keep an eye on these things during your checkups, if something develops between when you see us each year, we need to take a look to ensure it is not a new type of growth.
Getting an annual checkup is important, especially for your skin! Remember – if we can find the problem early, it is often something we have a greater chance to treat. One little area may be totally normal, or it may be a sign of something more problematic that needs treatment. If you’re interested in scheduling an exam – be it for an annual checkup or for any other skin condition you might be dealing with – please don’t hesitate to give us a call! The healthcare professionals here at Complete Family Dermatology in Lincoln, NE are here to help keep your skin healthy and happy!
