A simple, painless skin cancer screening could just save your life.

Anyone who lives in Honolulu will tell you how much they love the warm, sunny weather. It really is glorious to get to enjoy a day surfing the waves or simply lying on the beach; however, those years spent in the sun could increase your risk for skin cancer, so it’s important that you are protecting your skin, too. One way to do that is by turning to our Honolulu, HI, dermatologists Dr. Erin Fuller, Kevin Dawson, Douglas Chun, and Sarah Grekin for routine skin cancer screenings.

How often should I get a skin cancer screening?

It’s important that everyone sees our Honolulu, HI, dermatologists at least once a year for a comprehensive skin check. These exams can help our team spot cancer early when it’s easily treatable. Those at high risk for skin cancer may want to talk to us about how often they should come in for screenings, as they may want to come in more than once a year.

What are the risk factors for skin cancer?

It’s important to recognize your risk for developing skin cancer over your lifetime. Risk factors for skin cancer include,

• History of severe sunburn
• History of using tanning beds
• Not using sunscreen
• Family history of skin cancer
• Fair skin and hair
• Freckles
• Extended periods spent out in the sun (e.g. gardening; construction worker)
• Being immunocompromised

What are the warning signs of skin cancer?

It’s important that along with visiting our Honolulu, HI, dermatologists for annual or biannual screenings that you also are examining your skin regularly. What should you be looking for when you perform self-skin cancer screenings? Look at all moles from head to toe. Check for asymmetry, irregular border, changes in color (or multiple colors), changes in size, or moles that look different in any way. Moles that itch, bleed, or are red should also be examined by our team.

Is it time you turned to our Honolulu, HI, dermatologists for a skin check? If it’s been more than a year since your last one, or you’ve never had one before, it’s time to call Dawson Dermatology at (808) 599-3780 to schedule yours. Schedule an appointment with Drs: Erin Fuller, Kevin Dawson, Douglas Chun, and Sarah Grekin today.

Know how to spot skin cancer!

When was the last time you gave your body a thorough self-exam to check your moles? If you’ve never done this before it’s important that you start. After all, moles can show us when they are turning cancerous, but we have to be looking for these changes. Along with visiting our Honolulu, HI, dermatologists Dr. Kevin Dawson, Dr. Douglas Chun, Dr. Erin Fuller, and Dr. Sarah Grekin once a year for a comprehensive skin cancer screening, it’s also important that you are performing screenings on yourself once a month.

Moles Stay the Same Overtime

Healthy moles will stay relatively the same color, shape, and size over time. So, if you notice a mole suddenly changing colors, growing larger, or changing in appearance then it’s important that you see our Honolulu, HI, dermatologists for an immediate evaluation.

Know the Red Flags

Wondering what the signs and symptoms of skin cancer will look like? It’s important that you, or a loved one, be able to spot these changes in a mole so that you can come in right away and get this problem addressed by a qualified dermatologist. When it comes to spotting melanoma it’s important to know your ABCDEs…

A for Asymmetry

Both halves of a healthy mole will look identical in shape and size, so an asymmetrical mole could be a telltale sign of melanoma

B for Border

A healthy mole has a clearly defined border, but cancerous growths tend to have jagged or poorly defined borders

C for Color

Moles can be various shades of brown, however, if you notice a mole that is changing color or developing multiple colors it’s time to see the dermatologist

D for Diameter

Most healthy moles are smaller than the size of a pencil eraser, while cancerous moles tend to be, but aren’t always, larger than 6mm

E for Evolving

If you have a mole that bleeds, oozes, crusts over, is painful, or just looks different it’s worth seeing a skin doctor find out if the mole could be cancerous

Protect Against Skin Cancer

Along with visiting your dermatologist once a year and performing monthly self-exams on your skin, you can also reduce your risk for skin cancer by simply limiting exposure to sunlight and by wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least an SPF of 30 every day. Even on cloudy, rainy, or chilly days!

Do you want to schedule a skin cancer screening with our Honolulu, HI, dermatologists? If so, simply call Dawson Dermatology at (808) 599-3780 to book your next appointment with us. Protect your health by getting regular skin cancer checkups with our dermatology team.

When was the last time you saw a dermatologist? We’re pretty sure most people don’t know or perhaps have never stepped foot inside a dermatologist’s office; however, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70, and more than two people die every hour in the US from skin cancer. This is why everyone needs to visit their dermatologist for regular skin exams and skin cancer screenings.

• Being fair-skinned
• Having blonde or red hair
• Light eyes
• Skin that burns or freckles easily
• A history of sunburns
• Family history of skin cancer
• Extensive sun exposure (e.g. working outdoors)