I’m at Risk for Skin Cancer — What Are My Next Steps?

Being mindful of your skin cancer risk is very important, since in 2023 alone, 186,680 people are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma, one form of skin cancer. This figure represents both noninvasive (melanoma that just affects the top layers of skin) and invasive melanoma. 

Doing all you can to prevent skin cancer is critical. Fortunately, there are steps you can take that make a big difference, but it’s also important to understand your individual risk factors.

Dr. Luis Quinones at Q&S Surgical in Decatur and Lithonia, Georgia, counsels his patients on how to do all you can to avoid developing skin cancer and can remove the most common types of skin cancer. His dedication to his patients, valuable experience, and surgical talent make him the natural choice for those seeking a top-notch surgeon. 

Know your skin cancer risk and act accordingly

When you consider your risk for skin cancer, some factors are modifiable, or within your power to change, and some are nonmodifiable, or ones you can’t alter.

For example, you’re at a higher risk for skin cancer if you’re fair-skinned, have light eyes, or have a personal or family history of the disease. These are risk factors you can’t change, though you can take steps to vigilantly protect your skin and lower your risk. 

Other nonmodifiable risk factors include having blonde or red hair and having skin with a lot of moles or that freckles and burns easily. Your risk also goes up as you get older.

Factors you can control have to do with your lifestyle, and the one that makes the most difference is simply protecting yourself from the sun’s harmful UV rays. UVA rays go deeper into your skin, while UVB rays are responsible for causing your skin to burn.

Being keenly observant about sun safety means:

• Using a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, preferably higher
• Covering your arms and legs when outside
• Wearing a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face, neck, and ears
• Opting for sunglasses that protect against both UVA and UVB rays
• Sheltering in the shade whenever you can
• Avoiding going outside when the sun’s rays are the strongest, from about 10am-4pm

There’s another very important step you can take to reduce your skin cancer risk, and that’s not doing any type of indoor tanning, whether it’s visiting the tanning salon or using a sun lamp. This is very damaging to your skin, and we now know that using a tanning bed before you’re 20 increases your skin cancer risk by a stunning 47 percent.

Skin cancer removal

Dr. Quinones offers removal of frequently seen skin cancers, such as melanomas, basal cell carcinomas, and squamous cell carcinomas. They all typically appear as pink, red, or flesh-colored cyst-like spots. 

Nipping these spots in the bud is essential for protecting yourself from the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in the United States, and Dr. Quinones is committed to a partnership with you to protect your dermal health.

To make an appointment with Dr. Quinones, call our office to schedule an appointment or click online to book anytime.