Getting regular skin checks with a dermatologist is essential not only for your cosmetic health but for your overall well-being. During these examinations, your doctor will examine your skin from head to toe to look for any spots that are itching, changing, or bleeding.

Sun Damage

Long-term, repeated exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight or tanning beds causes photodamage — the buildup of sun-damaged skin cells that, over time, can lead to premature skin aging and increase your risk of skin cancer.

The most common symptoms of sun damage include:

• Dry, leathery, and wrinkled skin.
• Brown spots, freckles, uneven pigmentation, and changes in collagen production.
  Sunburns.
• The most important step is to prevent sun damage in the first place with proper UV-blocking clothing, hats, and sunscreen.

A dermatologist can offer medical therapy, like tretinoin (brand name Retin-A), to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and skin looseness. These drugs can also stimulate new skin and collagen production, which helps reverse some signs of sun damage and improve your overall appearance.

Regular skin check-ups with a dermatologist are essential for your health and safety, especially if you have a family history of skin cancer. They can help detect and treat abnormal moles and growths before they become skin cancer. It is good to find a dermatologist Memphis, TN, to be guided on the right thing to do about your skin concerns.

Skin Cancer

During a skin check, your doctor will look for signs of cancer in moles or spots. These could be squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, or melanoma (the most severe type of skin cancer). You should have your skin checked regularly, preferably once per year. This can help prevent skin cancer and keep you healthy in the long run. It’s imperative to have a skin check if you have a family history of skin cancer. Nonmelanoma skin cancers, including basal and squamous cell carcinoma, are almost always cured when found early and treated. Your dermatologist should examine your skin, from your scalp down to your toes. They may ask you to fully undress so that the areas you are concerned about can be seen.

Precancerous Lesions

Regular skin check-ups with a dermatologist are essential for identifying precancerous lesions early. They don’t take long and usually only involve looking at a small part of your skin. Your doctor should scrutinize your spots, including their color, size, and shape. They’ll also look for asymmetry (differences between each side of a spot) and border irregularity. Most moles are not cancerous, but atypical moles can indicate a precancerous lesion, so checking them is important. Atypical moles often have uneven borders, different colors, and asymmetry. A dermatologist might call these precancerous spots actinic keratoses or solar keratoses because they have been damaged by the sun. But they can also progress to a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma, so you must tell your doctor about any new spots on your skin.

Acne

Acne is a common skin problem that can occur at any age but is most common during puberty. During this time, hormones stimulate the tiny oil glands that live around hair follicles on your face and chest to produce sebum, an oily substance that helps keep your skin moist. These oily substances clog pores (small openings in the skin) and can lead to outbreaks of lesions, commonly called pimples or zits. The result is red, swollen bumps that can be painful. Whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples are caused when hair follicles get clogged with oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria. A whitehead forms when a pore is partially clogged, while a blackhead appears when a pore has been completely plugged.