McDonough District Hospital Ear, Nose, & Throat Specialist Dr. Jeffrey Sparks says the face is an interesting area when it comes to skin cancer due to it being a sun exposed area and then your ears and nose don’t have much extra skin when something is removed. Working outdoors certainly increases the risk of potential skin cancer and Dr. Sparks shares what to watch out for:
“Any lesion that changes in size, shape, or color would be something that we think about. Any lesion specifically a lesion that you get out of the shower and you are drying off and it will bleed, it kind of cracks and bleeds on its own, that is something that is very concerning and needs looked at. When we look at a pigmented lesion, those are the ones that are darker in color, then we look at the border of it; is it real smooth, circular lesion or does it have kind of a jagged border or border that is hard to see the edges of and that would be more concerning as well.”
Dr. Sparks says no referral is needed to visit his office; however, some insurances do require one.