
Melanoma Awareness, Skin Cancer, Skin Checks
Above: Sunspots tend to crop up on areas of your skin that have had a lot of sun exposure over the years
Sunspots are little areas of hyperpigmentation, that are part of the ‘natural’ ageing process and are generally harmless (although they can be unsightly). They’re caused by years of sun exposure, which triggers pigment-producing cells called melanocytes in your skin to produce more pigment in a small concentrated area.
This excess pigment is triggered in response to injury (sun damage), sort of the way scar tissue forms after a cut or puncture wound. Unlike moles that tend to ‘stick out’ above the skin, sunspots aren’t raised at all - run your finger over a sunspot, and it will feel just as smooth as the skin around it.
Just because sunspots are considered harmless doesn’t mean they should be ignored however. The problem with sunspots (and with moles, for that matter) is that skin cancer in its earlier stages can look very much like a flat, brownish spot (see below). Which means that if you ignore an area of hyper pigmentation on your skin, you could be delaying treatment for what may turn out to be melanoma.
Above: Sunspots are little areas of hyperpigmentation.
So how can you tell the difference?
Here’s one of the major differences: sunspots tend to crop up on areas of your skin that have had a lot of sun exposure over the years. On the other hand, melanoma — the fastest growing and most deadly form of skin cancer — can appear anywhere, even in areas with no sun exposure or limited exposure to UV rays.
The other key difference is harder to detect with an untrained eye: a sunspot forms when the melanocytes overproduce pigment in a tiny area of your skin, while skin cancer forms when the cells themselves reproduce in an abnormal and rapid fashion. Eventually, these cancerous cells can spread to other areas of your body (a process called metastasis) and can be life-threatening.
The trouble is, the difference between a benign skin change and early skin cancer can be very subtle, which is why we recommend having your skin checked by an expert skin cancer detection service such as MoleMap every year.
Above: Early stages of skin cancer
The early signs of skin cancer – what to look for?
We also recommend checking your skin yourself (or asking someone to check it for you) at least every two to three months. Knowing the ABCDE and EFG guidelines below can help you identify the early signs of skin cancer:
Recently, Cancer Council announced an update to the diagnosis guidelines to include elevation, firmness, and growth (EFG):
While the ABCDE and EFG guidelines are a good starting point for evaluating a suspicious spot, the differences between a sunspot and early skin cancer can extremely difficult to detect without proper medical training. Even your doctor might have trouble detecting early skin cancer at a glance.
Only a specialist skin-mapping service such as MoleMap has the expertise and technology to detect the subtle differences between benign sunspots and cancerous growths such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma - which is why we recommend choosing a regular, specialist skin cancer check.
Even though sunspots can be pretty ugly, they’re actually doing you a favour by showing up. Sunspots mean that you’ve had a lot of sun exposure during your lifetime – and that your risk of developing skin cancer is probably elevated – possibly very elevated. Check your personal risk factor here.
So, while sunspots may be benign, they’re a good reminder to book a skin and mole check every year.
And if you have any suspicious moles or sunspots that are changing, book a Full Body MoleMap or skin check straight away.
Book NowNote: This quick questionnaire is designed to give you an idea of your personal skin cancer risk factors.
It isn’t intended to be a substitute for medical advice or diagnosis – please contact us if you have any questions about your skin cancer risk.
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