July is Skin Cancer Awareness Month

Jul 5, 2018

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S., and each year there are more new diagnoses of skin cancer than breast, colon and prostate cancer combined! The good news is skin cancer is so easy to prevent. Besides being a cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Anthony Nikko is an excellent Houston dermatologist. Dr. Nikko wants his patients and Houstonians to know that July is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and that taking care of your body’s largest organ is important. Dr. Nikko and the Skin Cancer Foundation recommend some easy tips for reducing your risk of not only skin cancer, but a nasty sun burn. These tips include: Seek the shade especially between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.; don’t burn; avoid tanning and avoid tanning beds/booths; use clothing to cover up; use broad spectrum UVA and UVB sun screen; apply sun screen 30 minutes before going outside and reapply every two hours; examine your skin each month; and see your dermatologist at least once a year for a checkup. Though summertime in Houston almost begs us to put on the bathing suit and head for the pool, we need to be careful. Research indicates that if you’ve had 5 or more sunburns at any point in your life, that your risk for melanoma doubles! That’s scary because melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. If you have a suspicious mole or growth on your skin that needs to be checked, or if you want to treat past sun damage, contact Dr. Nikko’s office for an appointment.