May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. This provides a wonderful opportunity to recommit to preventive measures that can protect against this common disease.
Steps to prevent sun damage include wearing protective clothing, such as sunglasses, a sunhat, long sleeves, and pants. Reducing direct sun exposure between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm is also a good idea. When you are planning on going out, be sure to use a full-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, and reapply every hour or so to ensure continual coverage.
While taking steps to prevent skin cancer is important, when unusual skin growths develop, having them examined is equally important. Because growths can occur anywhere on the body, it is best to undergo a skin examination every year. When a growth is found, a biopsy may be needed to determine if it is cancerous.
Pre-cancerous growths and other types of sun damage can typically be removed with laser treatment, chemical peel, or another non-invasive treatment. Cancerous cells will need to be surgically removed. Skin cancer is often shaped like an iceberg, going much deeper than the surface appearance may indicate.
Reconstruction Following Skin Cancer Removal
With the removal of skin cancer, a procedure is chosen to allow effective removal with optimal appearance of the area. This could involve reconstructing the treatment area. At Farrell Plastic Surgery & Laser Center, we offer flap reconstruction, skin grafting, and structural grafting to help rebuild and smooth the area impacted by skin cancer removal. These methods can help improve the appearance of the treatment area, though some scarring may be inevitable. We offer treatments for scarring as well. We will discuss likely outcomes during your initial consultation to help you understand both the benefits and limitations of these reconstructive methods.
The doctors at Farrell Plastic Surgery & Laser Center have the experience necessary to treat many instances of skin cancer, as well as the artistry needed to reconstruct the surgical area following removal. If you would like to learn more about your post-skin cancer removal options, give us a call at 717-732-9000 to schedule a consultation today.