Risk factors we are born with include: fair complexion, light colored eyes, blond or red hair, tendency to burn instead of tan, family history of skin cancer, and a weakened immune system. People who have had a prior skin cancer are much more likely to form another. The number one modifiable risk factor for skin cancer is sun exposure.

Ultraviolet light damages the skin cells and causes them to become cancerous.

Yes. Ultraviolet light can be divided into the A rays and the B rays. The B rays are more responsible for causing skin cancer but the A rays can also act as tumor promoters. The A rays actually penetrate deeper into the skin are more responsible for the loss of skin elasticity and premature aging of the skin seen in those with chronic sun exposure. It is important to choose sunscreen that blocks out both A and B rays.

Yes.

Most sun damage occurs prior to the age of 18. It is very important that children be protected from the sun and that sunburns not be an acceptable in children.

Yes. More than one million skin cancers are diagnosed each year. All types of skin cancer are becoming more frequent in part to depletion of the ozone layer of the atmosphere.

The important first step is that the patient or the doctor suspects that a lesion might be a skin cancer. The lesion is then biopsied and sent to be examined with a microscope. If the lesion is a skin cancer it will require further treatment to remove it completely.

Skin cancer does not hurt. Sometimes it will be elevated about the surface of the skin but often is flat. A scab that falls off to reform in the same place is very often a skin cancer. Any skin abrasion that does not heal is very suspicious for a skin cancer. Pigmented lesions or moles that are Asymmetrical, have an irregular Border, have different shades of brown black or tan Color, have a Diameter of >6mm, or Evolving (changing) over time are suspect of being melanoma.

MOHS surgery is a procedure where a dermatologist with special training removes a skin cancer. MOHS surgery has the highest cure rate for most skin cancers and it is the procedure that preserves the most normal skin adjacent to the skin cancer. Preserving normal skin is very important when dealing with cancers on or near the eyelids.

Avoid sunburns or excess sun exposure, avoid tanning booths, and protect your children from the sun! Use broad spectrum SPF15 or greater sunscreen and apply it liberally and frequently. Wear sunglasses and a broad brimmed hat when in the sun.

As with most things you cannot take back what you did when you were young. However, you can assist by bringing any suspicious lesion to the attention of your primary care doctor, a dermatologist, or Dr. Lin Yang. Often a skin cancer is noted by the way it changes with time. It is very useful to bring to the attention of a doctor that a skin change is getting bigger, sometimes bleeds, or sometimes forms a scab. Skin cancers are much easier to treat and less likely to leave a scar when they are small when diagnosed.

Dr. Lin Yang can biopsy any suspicious lesion. Most typically, he recommends skin cancers be removed using the MOHS technique and his staff can coordinate this appointment for you. Dr. Lin Yang is an expert in reconstructing the defects left after skin cancer has been removed from the eyelids or face. Our goal is to cure you of the cancer and to restore normal appearances