It's Melanoma Monday - Time to Check Your Moles

The Dermatology Industry have developed a genius way of getting people to think about their moles. Not the ones in their lawns, or the ones they wack, but the ones on their noggins and faces and chins and necks and backs and whereever.

The first Monday in May is Melanoma Monday when we should all go and get our moles checked out to see how they're doing. Because sometimes you little accent of personality can turn into a cancerous timebomb tick tock ticking on your face.

Dermatology Doctor dot com sez:

Melanoma Monday and National Skin Examination Day are traditionally the first Monday in May. This event, sponsored by the American Academy of Dermatology, helps raise public awareness about Malignant Melanoma, a potentially fatal form of skin cancer and encourage early detection through screening.

Malignant Melanoma arises from skin growths known as nevi, or “moles” as they are more commonly known. The vast majority of moles are visible on the skin, and brown in color. Rarely, moles may be pink or red, (amelanotic) and there are even moles which can be hidden internally, such as at the back of the eye.

Fortunately, moles don’t change into Melanoma overnight. Gradually moles will go through a series of changes (some faster than others) known as dysplasia. The greater the degree of dysplasia, the more likely the mole may turn into melanoma.

photo by jrubinic