| | Dermatology 911Dr. Kathy Fields | June 21, 2010 at 7:21 pm | Categories: Dermatology 911 | URL: http://wp.me/pMnJi-9v |
By Dr. Kathy Fields
Patient Name: Michael*
Gender: Male
Age: 53 years old
Concern: yearly checkup
Doctor’s Notes:
Michael has been my patient for almost five years. At the request of his wife, he started coming in for yearly checkups. Michael is your typical “man’s man” … a hiker, biker and golfer who always steered clear of using skincare. He did turn over a new leaf when he married and started applying sunscreen to his face.
He’s been very healthy in the past few years, but this appointment I had to deliver some bad news … Michael had skin cancer on his left ear.
The sad truth is, this is not uncommon. In fact, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the majority of people diagnosed with melanoma are white men over the age of 50, and that risk continues to increase with every decade. And what’s more, they also found that men over the age of 40 have the highest annual exposure to UV rays.
Even men who are the most diligent with their sunscreen often forget their ears and their hairline. As hair recedes with time, most men forget to apply sunscreen on those newly exposed areas. And this can have huge implications, especially for golfers and outdoor enthusiasts, like it did with Michael. And the same applies for women. So cover up with a hat and sunglasses and apply sunscreen to all exposed areas, doctor’s orders!
*Patient name has been changed to protect privacy
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