Skin examinations by dermatologists can identify suspicious moles, lesions, or other abnormalities that may indicate skin cancer or other skin disorders.
By making regular skin exams a priority, individuals can take proactive steps toward maintaining the health of their skin and catching potential problems in their early stages.
Regular skin exams play an important role in the early detection of skin diseases and can potentially save lives. Skin is the largest organ of our body and is susceptible to various conditions including skin cancer. Early detection greatly improves the chances of successful treatment and reduces the risk of complications. Skin examinations by dermatologists can identify suspicious moles, lesions, or other abnormalities that may indicate skin cancer or other skin disorders. By making regular skin exams a priority, people can take proactive steps toward maintaining the health of their skin and catch potential problems in their early stages when treatment options are more effective.
Dr Rashmi Aderao, MD Dermatology Consultant, Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune says, “Everyone can agree that prevention is better than cure. We all spend time in front of the mirror every day to groom ourselves, but we never notice any change. Skin examination is a very important aspect for early detection of various diseases. Skin is the largest part of our body. Any internal changes that occur in our body are also reflected in your skin, for example darkening of your neck can be a sign of insulin resistance.
Jaundice causes the skin and eyes to turn yellow. The appearance of spots increasing in size to previous warts can be alarming. The appearance of bald patches may indicate autoimmune conditions psychiatric conditions.
Significance of skin test:
With the growing awareness of skin health and the rise in the incidence of skin diseases, it is imperative to visit a dermatologist for regular check-ups. Visiting the doctor not only helps in correct diagnosis of skin disease but also prevents further spread of the disease.
“Skin diseases can be infectious, allergic, autoimmune blistering diseases, psoriasis etc. and at the end of the spectrum are skin blemishes. Contagious skin problems like fungal infections first appear as a simple itchy rash and if not detected early, the rash spreads to other parts of the body and other people in the family. Most of the people ignore the initial stage and treat it by buying medicinal tubes from chemist which are mostly steroid based. This leads to an increase in the disease process and treatment resistance. Hence, early detection is important in infectious skin disease,” says Dr Banani Chowdhary, Consultant Dermatologist, HN Reliance Foundation Hospital & Research Centre, Mumbai.
Even for other skin problems like allergic rash, urticaria/hives, the importance of early detection and treatment cannot be stressed enough. All these diseases are chronic in nature and at a later stage it becomes difficult to treat.
A simple way of prevention is self-examination of the skin.
Dr. Aderao explains simple ways to do self-examination
- Look in the mirror at the front and back of your entire body, then raise your arms and look to the right and left.
- With elbows bent, pay close attention to the hands, upper arms, especially the hard-to-see back area, and both the outer and inner forearms.
- Check the front of the feet and legs, the sides and back of the soles and the gaps between the toes.
- Part hair into two sections to lift it, then use a hand mirror to examine the scalp and back of the neck.
- Use a hand mirror to examine your buttocks, back and genitals.
- If you notice that particular skin-related areas are changing, take pictures of the lesions to record any changes over time.
Early detection can save lives. Regular skin self-exams give you the power to detect any disease early when it is easiest to treat, before it becomes fatal.
Dr Chowdhary says, “The preventive aspect of dermatitis also lies in the fact that some diseases can be treated permanently if we can find the trigger like sun allergy, or allergy to pollen/food etc. Early detection of skin cancers such as melanoma or squamous/basal cell carcinoma can be life-saving. In the early stages, skin cancers can be very harmless like a small red dot or black pigment. So, any change in a mole, such as redness or bleeding or an increase in size may be suspicious and require immediate attention from a dermatologist. New skin lesions or changes in normal skin texture on any part of the body, including the inside of the mouth/inside the mouth Such as redness/itching/pain/boils/blisters need the advice and treatment of a dermatologist.