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Skin cancer can affect people of all colors. Simply put, if you have skin, you can get skin cancers. The most important thing to do is get to know your skin type and protect your skin from the sun. Also, check yourself monthly and see a dermatologist once a year for a full body exam.
What is Skin Cancer?
Skin cancer happens when skin cells grow and multiply in an uncontrolled way. Generally, new skin cells form when cells grow old and die or when they become damaged. When this process doesn’t work as it should, the rapid growth of cells results. This collection of cells may be noncancerous, which doesn’t spread or cause harm, or cancerous, which may spread to nearby tissue or other areas in your body if not caught early and treated. Skin cancer is often caused by ultraviolet (UV) light exposure from the sun.
There are three main types of skin cancer:
- Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the most common types of skin cancer and are sometimes called non-melanoma skin cancer.
- Melanoma is not as common as basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas but is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. If left untreated or caught in a late stage, melanomas are more likely to spread to organs beyond the skin, making them difficult to treat and potentially life-limiting.
What Are The Symptoms Of Skin Cancer?
Skin cancer develops mainly on areas of sun-exposed skin, including the face, lips, scalp, ears, chest, neck, arms, hands, and legs in women. It can also form on areas that rarely see the light of day such as your palms, beneath your fingernails or toenails, and your genital area.
This type of cancer affects people of all skin tones, including those with darker complexions. When melanoma occurs in people with dark skin tones, it’s more likely to occur in areas not normally exposed to the sun, such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Basal Cell Carcinoma Signs and Symptoms
- A pearly or waxy bump
- A flat, flesh-colored, or brown scar-like lesion
- Bleeding or scabbing sore that heals and returns
Squamous Cell Carcinoma Signs and Symptoms
- A firm, red nodule
- A flat lesion with a scaly, crusted surface
Melanoma Signs and Symptoms
Melanoma can develop anywhere on your body, in otherwise normal skin or in an existing mole that becomes cancerous. It most often appears on the face or the trunk of affected men. In women, this type of cancer most often develops on the lower legs. In both men and women, melanoma can occur on skin that hasn’t been exposed to the sun. Melanoma can affect people of any skin tone. In people with darker skin tones, melanoma tends to occur on the palms or soles, or under the fingernails or toenails.
Melanoma symptoms include:
- Dark lesions on your palms, soles, fingertips, or toes, or mucous membranes lining your mouth, nose, vagina, or anus
- A small lesion with an irregular border and portions that appear red, pink, white, blue, or blue-black
- A painful lesion that itches or burns
- A large brownish spot with darker speckles
- A mole that changes in color, size, or feels or that bleeds
Do People With Darker Skin Tone Have Increased Chance To Get Skin Cancer?
People of all colors, including those with brown and black skin, get skin cancer. Even if you never sunburn, you can get skin cancer. When cancer develops in people of color, it’s often in a late stage when diagnosed. This can be deadly when the person has melanoma, a type of skin cancer that can spread quickly. Treatment for any type of skin cancer can be difficult in the late stages.
Medication treatment recommended for skin issues:
- Skin Lite (Hydroquinone 2%, Tretinoin 0.025%, Mometasone Furoate 0.1%)
This cream has a combination of three active ingredients. It contains Hydroquinone, Mometasone, and Tretinoin. Hydroquinone works by inhibiting melanin deposition on the skin. It works to help make the skin lighten the skin pigmentation. Mometasone is also referred to as a steroid. It works to help reduce skin inflammation such as itching. It also contains Tretinoin which treats and prevents pimples and acne. It increases the turnover of the follicular epithelial cells.
This medication helps to whiten the dark spots. It’s a fairness cream that contains a steroid that effectively works for your skin. It treats a variety of skin problems.
