Do You Know Your ABCDE'S Of Melanoma?

Warm, sunny weather is fast approaching and soon beach chairs, swimming pools and playing in the sand will be calling our names. Please, please, please don't forget your sunscreen! Women in the US have had significant increases in the two most common non-melanoma skin cancers, basal and squamous cell carcinoma.

At GlamourJunkie we are firm believers in treating your skin like gold. We believe in seeing a dermatologist once a year to have all moles and freckles checked. We also believe in doing self exams throughout the year. Do you know what to look for? Would you recognize something suspicious? Look for the ABCDE's of melanoma. If  you see one or more, head straight to your dermatologist. A = ASYMETRY: if you draw a line through this mole, the two sides will not match.


B = BORDER: the borders of an early melanoma tend to be uneven. the edges may be scalloped or notched.

C = COLOR: having a variety of colors is another warning signal. a number of different shades of brown, tan or black could appear. a melanoma may also become red, blue or some other color.

D = DIAMETER: melanomas are usually larger in diameter than the size of the eraser on a pencil (1/4 inch or 6mm) but they may be smaller when first detected.

E = EVOLVING: any change in size, shape, color, elevation, or another trait, or any new symptoms such as bleeding, itching or crusting- points to danger.





SPF stands for sun protection factor. It is a measure of a sunscreen's ability to prevent the sun's rays from damaging the skin. It takes 20 minutes for your skin to start turning red without sunscreen. Using a sunscreen with SPF 15 theoretically prevents burning 15 times longer- about 5 hours. Sunscreen should be applied 30 minutes before sun exposure and reapplied every two hours.

You don't have to wear a beach sunscreen during a normal day. If you wear cosmetics, try using a moisturizer or foundation that has an SPF included. My favorite sunscreen to wear under makeup is Derma Defense SPF 30 by Esente'. It is super light and dries fast. We often forget to apply sunscreen to our ears, necks, hands and chest. These areas of our bodies get sun everyday because they are always exposed. Have you noticed the left side of your face has more freckles than the right? That is from driving. The sun's rays can penetrate through glass windows. I recently had a biopsy of a pre-cancer freckle on my left ear, probably from driving. Scroll down below to watch the video. Don't forget: the sun's rays are the strongest between the hours of 10 am to 4 pm. Looking for a newtrend, broad rimmed hats are very Glamorous!