5 places you can surprisingly get skin cancer that aren’t on your skin
Skin cancer is highly treatable if caught early so make sure you’re checking these surprising spots and symptoms of skin cancer.
1. Hidden in a tattoo
People with tattoos understandably like to show them off, which usually means plenty of sun exposure. There’s a popular myth that big tattoos can act as a sunscreen but not only is that untrue, some ink colour – particularly white – can actually intensify sun damage. In addition, the ink can mask common symptoms of skin cancer like moles that change colour or a bumpy lesion. So if you want to make sure all your skin stays as pretty as (your) pictures, make sure to pay close attention to your skin under the tattoos and always wear sunscreen.
2. Between your toes
Eeeny, meeny, miney, moe, catch a cancer on your toe? People often forget to put sunscreen on their feet, even when they’re in sandals all summer. And while a mole gone rogue on the top of your foot would likely catch your eye, many people don’t think to look in places like between your toes and on the soles of your feet. Moles on the feet need to be evaluated just like moles on any other part of your body, Dr. Stahr says, using the ABCDE method: Asymmetry, irregular Border, uneven or multiple Colours, Diameter bigger than a pencil eraser, Evolving or changing. Your scalp and ears are other critical spots you forget to put sunscreen on too.
3. Your anus
It’s rare, but there have been cases of melanoma around the anus, inside the anus, and even inside the gastrointestinal tract, says Dr. Awadalla. Since it’s hard to check places where the sun literally never shines, it’s important to be on the lookout for other symptoms like blood in your faeces, pain during evacuation, or persistent changes in your bowel movements.
4. Your hair
Skin cancer on the scalp is a double whammy: Not only is it one of the most common places to get the disease but thanks to your hair it’s often missed, ignored, or mistaken for something else like dandruff. “If anything is growing, itching, burning, or bleeding, it should be evaluated by a physician,” Dr. Stahr says. Even if it turns out to be something like psoriasis, dandruff, or ringworm, dermatologists are well-equipped to deal with those conditions too. In addition, it’s a good idea to make friends with your hairdresser as they are often the first notice new or changes moles on the scalp.
5. Under your tongue
Ever wonder why your dentist lifts up your tongue and gives it a good look underneath and around the sides? One reason is that it is possible to get melanoma on your tongue. Even though you likely aren’t getting much sun exposure in your mouth, it is possible if the cancer has metastasised. And odds of getting any kind of cancer on your tongue or inside your mouth greatly increases if you smoke. So make sure you’re keeping up with your dental check-ups and ditch the cigarettes.
Written by Charlotte Hilton Andersen. Republished with permission of Wyza.com.au.