The ABCDE’s of Melanoma – What to Look For and How to Protect Yourself

By Dr. Brian Keegan 

School is back in session. You may know your alphabet, but do you know your ABCDE’s on how to check your skin for melanoma? According to the American Cancer Society, about 76,100 new melanoma cases will be diagnosed this year. At Windsor Dermatology, we are focused on educating our patients on how to check their skin and protect themselves. 

Originally developed at New York University as a way to identify concerning lesions, the ABCDE’s of melanoma is a screening procedure to help patients check their skin. If you suspect anything suspicious, remember to schedule an appointment with your dermatologist. 

Learn the ABCDE’s of melanoma:

Asymmetry – If you fold the lesion in half, both sides don’t look the same.

Border – Most moles will come to an end. Lesions that are of concern may bleed off, look more faint in certain spots or different around the edges.

Color – Lesions that have multiple colors, such as red, black, brown or white, can be concerning. 

Diameter – Moles should not be bigger than a half a centimeter. 

Evolution – Added after the ABCD’s, evolution stands for change. Any change in a mole should be further examined by a dermatologist. 

The ABCDE’s of melanoma provide a way for patients to check their skin at home. At Windsor Dermatology, we see lesions all the time that fit some or many of these points. The important thing to remember is anything that is of concern, should be checked by a dermatologist. Scheduling annual skin screenings is important as your dermatologist knows what specifically to look for and is able to check those hard to see areas of your body.

To schedule a skin screening with a dermatologist at Windsor Dermatology, call 609-443-4500 or visit Windsor Dermatology to make an appointment or to learn more about melanoma.

Best Procedures to Help Ensure Your Skin Looks Rejuvenated at Any Age

By Teresa Zawada 

At Windsor Dermatology, we offer a variety of in-office cosmetic procedures that help patients obtain healthy, youthful looking skin at any age. 

While there are many aesthetic skincare options available, we always inform and educate our patients about what options are the best for them. Once we understand our patients’ objectives, we develop a personal skincare treatment plan. In addition to our in-office services, we also can suggest at-home options that work to complement and maintain procedures done in our office.
 

So what are the benefits of our personalized treatments? Here is a sample: 

Microdermabrasion is one of the most popular and effective anti-aging skincare treatments that can help your skin appear younger and firmer looking. This non-invasive, safe and pain-free procedure is ideal for patients looking to treat or eliminate fine lines and wrinkles, age spots, stretch marks and discoloration.            

In addition, peels can help liven up the skins appearance, and are perfect for those with visible signs of aging, sun damage or scaring. We would recommend several types of peels to improve your skins tone and texture, while helping with acne breakouts, fine lines and wrinkles, oily complexions and facial redness and blotchiness.

A Salicylic Peel is a procedure that helps to refine, resurface and revise the skin. This peel is ideal for those suffering from acne, oily skin, rosacea or frequent whiteheads or blackheads.

A Glycolic Peel helps freshen and rejuvenate the skin by removing dead and damaged skin cells from the top layer of the skin.

A Phyto-Pumpkin Enzyme Peel is ideal for patients with sensitive or intolerant skin or rosacea.

A Deep-Cleansing Enzyme Peel is perfect for patients that are unable to tolerate stronger chemical peels due to sensitivity, easily irritated or allergy-prone skin. This peel is made from bromelain extract, which is derived from the pineapple plant.

As you can see, we have a wide variety of aesthetic treatment options to help rejuvenate your skin at any age. Make an appointment with me by August 29, 2014 to receive 10% off microdermabrasion and any of our peels.

Call Windsor Dermatology at 609-443-4500 or visit Windsor Dermatology to make an appointment or to learn more about our aesthetic procedures.

How to Effectively Protect Your Skin from the Sun

By Dr. Brian Keegan

With summer in full swing and the list of outdoor activities a mile long, it’s important to remember that protecting your skin from the sun should be at the top of your list. Excessive exposure to the sun affects people of all ages. Studies have shown that 80 percent of a person’s lifetime sun exposure is acquired before the age of 18–making it that much more important to properly protect your children too. 

With July being National UV Safety Month, the more cautious and aware you are about sun exposure, the better. Naturally, sun exposure causes our bodies to produce Vitamin D, which is very beneficial to our health. However, too much exposure can harm us. 

Wear protective clothing. This can be as simple as grabbing a hat and sunglasses on your way out the door. Obviously, the more you can cover your body the better the protection. This means long sleeved shirts, long pants and/or long skirts. Generally speaking, dark colors block out more UV rays than light colors, and dry material protects better than wet material. 

Seek shade. Wherever you are, finding shade is always a good idea in helping prevent overexposure. For example, if you’re on a picnic, look for big trees with wide branches to ensure a lot of coverage. Or, if you’re at the beach, be sure to pack an umbrella to keep the whole family cool and shaded.

Wear sunscreen and reapply often.When choosing a brand of sunscreen, be sure to read the label. Sunscreens with broad spectrum protection (against both UVA and UVB rays) and with sun protection factor (SPF) values of 30 or higher are recommended. It’s important to be diligent and reapply at least every two hours, especially if you’re swimming or doing physical activity that would cause you to sweat. 

Shelter your eyes from the rays. Choose sunglasses that block 99-100 percent of UVA and UVB rays. Look for glasses that say “UV absorption up to 400 nm” or “Meets ANSI UV Requirements,” both mean the glasses block at least 99 percent of UV rays. Wraparound sunglasses that have large-frames are also more likely to protect your eyes.

While the best way to stay protected from the sun is to stay out of it, this isn’t always realistic. Excessive sun exposure can lead to sunburn, skin damage, skin cancer and uneven pigmentation of the skin. Take the right precautions this summer to enjoy the sun safely.

Don’t forget to schedule regular skin screenings with your dermatologist to ensure your skin is looking its best and staying healthy. To schedule an appointment, visit www.windsordermatology.com or call 609-443-4500.