Getting a sun tan is fun, but when the heat starts burning the skin, the risk of developing cancer increases. One can check pictures of skin cancer to know what the consequences are. Fortunately, one has quite a few options at their disposal to protect themselves from such a condition. Herein, we’ll talk about every crucial element that comes into play as far as this condition of the skin is concerned:

Types

Skin cancers are classified by their location on the body, appearance, and behavior. The different types of skin cancer are

Basal Cell Carcinoma
Basal cell carcinomas are typically small, slow-growing tumors that form on skin that goes through constant sun exposure, such as those of the face, ears, and hands.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer that begins in squamous cells, which are flat cells found in the outer layer of the skin. Such a type of skin cancer can develop anywhere on the body but tend to grow around areas where there’s been previous sun exposure, such as near moles or scars from burns or other injuries, or spots with lots of friction against clothing.

Melanoma

This skin cancer develops from cells called melanocytes that are responsible for pigmentation. Melanoma needs to be treated before it forms a lump or bumps on the skin. Such a condition can show signs that look like moles or freckles at first, but they tend to overgrow and become ulcerated, i.e., produce open sores.

Non-melanoma

If one checks pictures of this skin cancer online, they’re usually of non-melanomas, including basal and squamous cell carcinoma. These tend to be more superficial, appearing as a raised bump or nodule on the skin. They are often red and scaly, but sometimes they can be pink or flesh-colored.

Stages

There are three main stages of skin cancer:

Precancerous Stage

Precancerous skin growths are not yet cancerous but are at risk of becoming so if left untreated. These include actinic keratosis (AKs), basal cell carcinoma (BCCs), squamous cell carcinoma (SCCs), and melanoma in situ (MIS).

Early Stage
Early-stage skin cancers are malignant but have not spread beyond the top layer of skin or into nearby lymph nodes or other organs. This includes melanomas in situ, superficial spreading melanomas, nodular melanomas, lentigo maligna melanomas, and acral lentiginous melanomas.

Late Stage
Late-stage cancers have spread beyond their original site in the body and have become metastatic; apart from surgery, they will require additional treatment options such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy. These include invasive SCCs of the scalp, face, or neck; invasive SCCs of legs below the knee; invasive SCCs of the trunk below the nipple line; invasive BCCs, and SPMS.

Signs

Knowing the early-stage signs of skin cancer helps one take action as soon as possible. If one feels something suspicious about their skin, here are a few things to look out for:

A hard bump on the skin that doesn’t go away after a few weeks.

A wart that proliferates.

A sore that won’t heal after four weeks could mean melanoma.

A scaly patch on the skin.

These signs can indicate basal and squamous cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis. The doctor might be able to remove a wart with laser treatment or freezing.

Protection
Skin cancer is mostly caused by exposure to UV rays. But the solution is simple: using the right sunscreen. The best options are those with SPF ratings of at least 30 and protection against both UVA and UVB rays. The best form of protection for the skin from sun damage is avoiding direct exposure to sunlight between 10 am and 4 pm. These hours are when the sun’s rays are most damaging. One should wear an SPF shirt if they’re going out during these hours and reapply sunscreen every two hours or so.

As we enter into warmer weather and more people begin spending time outside, one must make sure that they’re taking the right precautions to protect themselves from skin cancer. Such a condition is quite common in the country, and it’s a problem that only worsens over time. Those diagnosed with skin cancer need to vigilantly check their skin for any changes or irregularities. Also, talking to a doctor to confirm additional screening or checks for skin cancer are needed by checking pictures will help one understand the problem better.