The increasing prevalence of skin cancer, combined with struggling health services, begs the question – could the aesthetics specialty do anything to help?1 The sooner a skin cancer is treated, the better the prognosis. Many aesthetic practitioners have a background in dermatology or have undertaken courses on skin health. With some additional training, they could help identify concerning skin lesions and offer advice on skin cancer prevention.
This article aims to provide an overview on how to spot skin cancer, including a summary of the different types of skin cancer, risk factors and accessing the all-important specialist opinion.
Before delving into the specifics of how to spot skin cancer, it's essential to understand what skin cancer is and its various types. There are two main types of skin cancer:2
There are different histological (appearance under the microscope) types of BCC; superficial, nodular, morphoeic, infiltrative or sclerosing micronodular, for example. Superficial BCC presents as a…
