When people think of their health, they often forget about their skin. Considering the amount of punishment that it goes through, it needs some care, too. One of the more essential check ups that people need is a skin check up, but they often skip it. If you are going in for a skin exam, here are some things that you have to know.
Don’t Assume It Is Just A Look
One of the mistakes that people make when it comes to this physical exam is that it is only a superficial body check. This is not a simple inspection. They are professionals and may want to see your skin under an LED magnifying light so that they have a good idea of what exactly your skin is going through. Think of it as a medical examination, and you will have a better idea of what is going on.
For one, your doctor will likely have you wearing a medical gown for the entire process. This is so that they can quickly examine you. They will also ask you some questions. These will mostly involve your habits and your medical history, but they also might ask about any history of skin cancer in your family. They will then do a thorough check of your entire body, starting from your scalp and down to your toes. They will usually take note of any dark spots and moles. Furthermore, they will take an interest in any rashes and other interesting skin conditions.
Prepare Yourself Properly
Considering the examination is going to be thorough, it is better to do some preparations. The first step is to do a simple examination yourself. This can help save a lot of time if you can point out some problem areas to your doctor then they can focus their attention on them. Another step to prepare for the examination is to clean yourself up. You should not wear any nail polish since that can obscure any signs of a problem with your skin in the nails and toes.
While not wearing any makeup is a good idea, you can also pack some makeup remover to remove any that you wore. You should also keep your hair down. Remove any clips and buns so that the doctor can see any problems with your scalp. Additionally, you should remove any jewelry. Bandages and braces need to be removed, too.
Besides the physical preparation, you should also bring a list of past issues. You might also bring along past pictures of you so that the doctor would be able to compare your current situation.
A Deeper Look
If the doctor does find something wrong, they will usually give you an option. They can ask you to come back after a few days or do a simple biopsy. The procedure takes a sample of the area so that additional testing can be done. There are several types of biopsies available. All of them involve applying anaesthesia around the area and then taking samples.
There are several methods. First, a simple shave biopsy involves shaving off a layer of the suspicious area. A punch biopsy involves using a “puncher” to remove several layers of skin. For those that involve actual abnormal growths, your doctor might need to slice a sample off. Testing is then done. It will take a week or so before the doctor can recommend anything.
What They Might Recommend
There are several suggestions that the dermatologist might tell you to do. For those who have nothing much wrong, then they will usually give tips on how to take care of your skin properly. This usually involves keeping out of direct sunlight and wearing a lot of sunscreen. They might also suggest taking supplements and improving your diet. Some might even suggest ways to heal damaged skin properly. Corrective and cosmetic procedures are there to help.
Finally, the worst case is that you are suffering1 from some skin cancer. Fortunately, most of these are pretty benign and require a simple procedure. However, there are some deadly skin cancers out there. These will require full surgery and removal of the cancerous tissues. This helps prevent it from spreading out into your body.
Knowing your skin is in good condition is important. There is a lot that can go wrong with your skin. Having a professional look at it and see whether you need to be concerned about something can help ensure that you are fine. If something is wrong, your yearly exam might be early enough to catch the problem, so it gets fixed easily.
