Get your skin checked!

A little Public Service Announcement: A few weeks ago, I had a biopsy to remove a “suspicious” mole. This was done during my annual skin check. In addition to being a child of the 70’s and 80’s who loved baby oil to get a tan, I do have a skin disease called DSAP (Disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis). I see the dermatologist annually to check for skin changes and to keep DSAP under control (I have dozens of DSAP spots burned off yearly). I’ve always expected sun damage to lead to an issue. So I was quite surprised that a mole that I have had for as long as I can remember became “suspicious”. It was a perfect circle until suddenly, it wasn’t. Sadly, I didn’t even notice it until the dermatologist pointed it out. The biopsy results indicated a mid range level of suspicious cells, so they recommended that I have the entire mole removed through excision. It was actually a bigger process than I expected and hopefully, there will be nothing else I need to do as follow up (other than removal of the stitches.) I have to wear a big bandage, and I’m not allowed to do much for a while so it can heal. My advice to all of you…..get your skin checked. I totally missed the change in this mole on my leg. Luckily, I probably caught it early enough. Ask your GP or make an appointment with a dermatologist. Better safe than sorry.