Esthetician's Corner: Skin Cancer Screening with Biopsies

Now, Brown Spot is a hole.

Brown Spot Before Biopsy

My Skin Cancer Screening

Many of my readers haven't had the opportunity to get their preventative skin cancer screening yet. In an effort, to encourage all of you to take that plunge and get that test, I wanted to chronicle my latest appointment and share with you.
It had been a year and half since I had my last skin cancer screening.  A little longer than I generally wait, I normally go once a year to be on the safe side. I have never had skin cancer before, although I have had one biopsy before and it was benign.
At my most recent appointment, they did two skin biopsies. One is from a mole that I accidentally scratched and it turned into a big, brown spot. The second mole is on my back and it looked suspicious. There are various methods to remove these suspicious moles: skin punch, skin shaving and excisional biopsies. I had the punch method done to me. They shoot you with a needle filled with a numbing fluid prior to removal.
The actual procedure doesn't hurt, but later in the day the areas were a little sore. The area needs to be washed twice daily and Vaseline applied and covered with a bandage to prevent infection.

I won't know the results of my latest biopsies for at least one to two weeks. If they are cancerous, I am going to kick myself for not being more diligent about my annual screening. On the other hand, if they are benign, I am going to sigh an epic-sized air of relief and I will make sure to add "skin cancer screening" to my calendar for a year out. These tedious appointments are just that until they become life-changing events, times we wish we could do over to prevent the unwanted consequences.
Skin Cancer screenings are like any other tests you would get on an annual basis. Dental checks, mammograms, physicals etc. it is just another appointment to add to our already busy schedules. While it is an annoyance, skin cancer is highly treatable and possibly curable if caught early. Early detection is our best defense against a very ugly disease!
Grace Riley author of JumpStart Your Esthetics Career: A Guide For Newly Licensed Estheticians