Most of us grow up with the idea that we should see our dentist twice a year for a checkup and teeth cleaning and our doctor once a year for an annual physical. It’s something that we grew up with. We take our kids, our parents took us, our grandparents took our parents, and so on, all the way back to the dinosaurs (or something like that).
We do this because preventative screenings provide better patient outcomes. It’s better for your provider to discover and treat problems early than for them to fester undiagnosed and to get out of hand before seeking professional help.
Discovering the issue early makes treatment faster, cheaper, and can result in complete recovery.
An Annual Skin Scan Exam
There’s a third annual checkup that a lot of us are forgetting. It’s not your fault. It’s not the sort of exam that you’re taking your kids to, your parents took you to, and your grandparents took the dinosaurs to. (Maybe that explains why dinosaurs aren’t here anymore.) But it’s the sort of annual checkup that every adult needs because our environment is changing.
We’re talking about your Annual Skin Scan Exam.
Discover Cancerous Growths Early
The scary truth is, 1 in 5 of us will develop skin cancer in our lifetime. There are more than 2 million new cases each year. That’s more than breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancer’s combined. Nearly 50% of Americans over 65 will have either basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma at least once. We see at least one skin cancer diagnosis at our clinic per-week. Recently we had five in one day!
The difference between a simple procedure and a full-blown medical issue is as easy as having your skin scan exam once a year.
What to Expect at Your Annual Skin Scan
An annual skin scan takes about 15 minutes. We will visually inspect your skin looking for any abnormal moles, spots, or patchy skin. Notes and photos will be taken of any areas that need further observation. If problematic moles, lesions, or other skin issues are discovered, treatment options and a plan will be discussed in detail.
Skin Scan Apps of the Future
If you live in the US, there are new skin scan apps that are coming to the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store soon. An app like SkinVision allows you to take a picture of any moles you see that concern you. It analyzes the photo and refers you to a doctor for more resources if there’s any worrying signs. While this is certainly better than nothing, these apps are also not quite ready for prime time. For the time being, an annual Skin Scan is the best way to go.
Our Skin Scan Recommendations
We recommend an annual skin scan starting at age 18 and continuing annually thereafter, unless you have a previous diagnosis of skin cancer. It’s a simple way to find, diagnose, and treat pre-cancerous, and cancerous skin cells before they become life threatening. If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer, your provider may recommend skin scans more frequently.
If you are in need of a Skin Scan, call our offices at (910) 794-5355 to schedule your appointment today. We now have an office in Hampstead in addition to our offices in Wilmington and Supply NC.
Most of us grow up with the idea that we should see our dentist twice a year for a checkup and teeth cleaning and our doctor once a year for an annual physical. It’s something that we grew up with. We take our kids, our parents took us, our grandparents took our parents, and so on, all the way back to the dinosaurs (or something like that).
We do this because preventative screenings provide better patient outcomes. It’s better for your provider to discover and treat problems early than for them to fester undiagnosed and to get out of hand before seeking professional help.
Discovering the issue early makes treatment faster, cheaper, and can result in complete recovery.
An Annual Skin Scan Exam
There’s a third annual checkup that a lot of us are forgetting. It’s not your fault. It’s not the sort of exam that you’re taking your kids to, your parents took you to, and your grandparents took the dinosaurs to. (Maybe that explains why dinosaurs aren’t here anymore.) But it’s the sort of annual checkup that every adult needs because our environment is changing.
We’re talking about your Annual Skin Scan Exam.
Discover Cancerous Growths Early
The scary truth is, 1 in 5 of us will develop skin cancer in our lifetime. There are more than 2 million new cases each year. That’s more than breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancer’s combined. Nearly 50% of Americans over 65 will have either basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma at least once. We see at least one skin cancer diagnosis at our clinic per-week. Recently we had five in one day!
The difference between a simple procedure and a full-blown medical issue is as easy as having your skin scan exam once a year.
What to Expect at Your Annual Skin Scan
An annual skin scan takes about 15 minutes. We will visually inspect your skin looking for any abnormal moles, spots, or patchy skin. Notes and photos will be taken of any areas that need further observation. If problematic moles, lesions, or other skin issues are discovered, treatment options and a plan will be discussed in detail.
Skin Scan Apps of the Future
If you live in the US, there are new skin scan apps that are coming to the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store soon. An app like SkinVision allows you to take a picture of any moles you see that concern you. It analyzes the photo and refers you to a doctor for more resources if there’s any worrying signs. While this is certainly better than nothing, these apps are also not quite ready for prime time. For the time being, an annual Skin Scan is the best way to go.
Our Skin Scan Recommendations
We recommend an annual skin scan starting at age 18 and continuing annually thereafter, unless you have a previous diagnosis of skin cancer. It’s a simple way to find, diagnose, and treat pre-cancerous, and cancerous skin cells before they become life threatening. If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer, your provider may recommend skin scans more frequently.
If you are in need of a Skin Scan, call our offices at (910) 794-5355 to schedule your appointment today. We now have an office in Hampstead in addition to our offices in Wilmington and Supply NC.
Love the skin you're in! Schedule your skin scan checkup now!
Make sure you don’t have any spots, moles, or rough patches of skin that need attention with your annual skin scan check up.