LENA BLOG

The title of this post should really be Skin Cancer ABCDs . I recommend you memorize and use the following information to help you determine some preliminary information about questionable moles or spots on your skin. Please remember this: When in doubt, get checked out! A stands for a symmetry . A circle is symmetrical; it has an evenness to it and is perfect in its round shape. Therefore asymmetry is a circle that isn’t fully and completely whole . One half doesn’t mirror the other half. It is uneven . B stands for border . The border or outline of the mole has irregularities , either a ragged edge or notched—not smoothe. C stands for color . Moles and spots on your skin should have an even color to them. If they are two-toned, for instance, having one shade of brown mixed with a darker shade of brown or even black, that is generally not a good sign. Along with differing shades, sometimes there are patches of red, white, or blue present. Color differences within ...

My friend David is now sporting a fairly large scar on his left cheek. Although at first he struggled to come to terms with this new facial characteristic, he now sees it as a gift and a reminder of how lucky he truly is. Here’s his story. It was the summer of 1999. David, like many men, had a small blemish on his left cheek. And, like many men, David decided to do what he always does—try to pop it. The place bled a little bit and seemed to scab over; this went on for several days. He thought perhaps there was a hair caught inside the pore because as soon as the place seemed like it was going away, it would get irritated and red again. Eventually the spot did go away, although a small red bump was left on his cheek. Every so often when David was shaving, the small red bump would bleed due to the razor hitting it. This went on for a month or two. Then the place scaled over, and he thought finally it was starting to heal. What David didn’t know is that many times when dr...