Both basal and squamous cell cancers are found mainly on areas of skin exposed to sun ? head, face, neck, hands, and arms. However, skin cancer can occur anywhere. Changes in skin are not sure signs of cancer; however, it?s important to see a doctor if any symptom lasts longer than 2 weeks. Don?t wait for area to hurt ? skin cancers seldom cause pain.

All skin cancers could be cured if they were discovered and brought to a doctor?s attention before they had a chance to spread. Therefore, you should check your skin regularly. The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change on skin, especially a new growth or a sore that doesn?t heal. Skin cancers don?t all look same. For example, skin cancer can start as a small, smooth, shiny, pale, or waxy lump. Or it can appear as a firm red lump. Sometimes, lump bleeds or develops a crust. Skin cancer also can start as a flat, red spot that is rough, dry, or scaly.

In treating skin cancer, doctor?s main goal is to remove or destroy cancer completely, leaving as small scar as possible. To plan best treatment for each person, doctor considers type of skin cancer, its location and size, and person?s general health and medical history. Treatment for skin cancer usually involves some type of surgery. In some cases, radiation therapy or chemotherapy (anticancer drugs) or a combination of these treatments may be necessary.

Age Spots

Age spots, or ?liver spots? as they?re often called, have nothing to do with liver. Rather, these flat, brown spots are caused by years of sun exposure. They are bigger than freckles and appear in fair-skinned people on sun-exposed areas such as face, hands, arms, back, and feet. The medical name for them is solar lentigo. They may be accompanied by wrinkling, dryness, thinning of skin, and rough spots.

A number of treatments are available, including skin-lightening, or ?fade? creams; cryotherapy (freezing); and laser therapy. Tretinoin cream is approved for reducing appearance of darkened spots. A sunscreen or sun block should be used to prevent further damage.

Shingles

Shingles is an outbreak of a rash or blisters on skin that may cause severe pain. Shingles is caused by varicella-zoster virus, same virus that causes chickenpox. After an attack of chickenpox, virus lies silent in nerve tissue. Years later, virus can reappear in form of shingles. Although it is most common in people over age 50, anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles. It also is common in people with weakened immune systems due to HIV infection, chemotherapy or radiation treatment, transplant operations, and stress.

Early signs of shingles include burning or shooting pain and tingling or itching, generally on one side of body or face. A rash appears as a band or patch of raised dots on side of trunk or face. The rash develops into small, fluid-filled blisters, which begin to dry out and crust over within several days. When rash is at its peak, symptoms can range from mild itching to intense pain. Most people with shingles have only one bout with disease in their lifetime. However, those with impaired immune systems ? for example, people with AIDS or cancer ? may suffer repeated episodes.

If you suspect you have shingles, see a doctor right away. The severity and duration of an attack of shingles can be reduced significantly by immediate treatment with antiviral drugs. These drugs also may help prevent painful aftereffects of shingles known as postherpetic neuralgia. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases currently is testing a shingles vaccine at National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. The vaccine they are testing is similar to one used to immunize against chickenpox. After shot, some people have had some discomfort around area of injection. In addition, a few people have had a low-grade fever. For more information about this study, call 1-800-411-1222.

Bruising

Many older people notice an increased number of bruises, especially on their arms and legs. The skin becomes thinner with age and sun damage. Loss of fat and connective tissue weakens support around blood vessels, making them more susceptible to injury. The skin bruises and tears more easily and takes longer to heal.

Sometimes bruising is caused by medications or illness. If bruising occurs in areas always covered by clothing, see a doctor.

Keep Your Skin Healthy

The best way to keep your skin healthy is to avoid sun exposure. # Stay out of sun. Avoid sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. This is when sun's UV rays are strongest. Don't be fooled by cloudy skies. Harmful rays pass through clouds. UV radiation also can pass through water, so don't assume you're safe if you're in water and feeling cool.

# Use sunscreen. Sunscreens are rated in strength according to a sun protection factor (SPF), which ranges from 2 to 30 or higher. A higher number means longer protection. Buy products with an SPF number of 15 or higher. Also look for products whose label says: broad spectrum (meaning they protect against both types of harmful sun rays ? UVA and UVB) and water resistant (meaning they stay on your skin longer, even if you get wet or sweat a lot). Remember to reapply lotion as needed.

# Wear protective clothing. A hat with a wide brim shades your neck, ears, eyes, and head. Look for sunglasses with a label saying glasses block 99 to 100 percent of sun?s rays. Wear loose, lightweight, long-sleeved shirts and long pants or long skirts when in sun.

# Avoid artificial tanning. Don't use sunlamps and tanning beds, as well as tanning pills and tanning makeup. Tanning pills have a color additive that turns your skin orange after you take them. The FDA has approved this color additive for coloring foods but not for tanning skin. The large amount of color additive in tanning pills may be harmful. Tanning make-up products are not suntan lotions and will not protect your skin from sun.

# Check your skin often. Look for changes in size, shape, color, or feel of birthmarks, moles, and spots. If you find any changes that worry you, see a doctor. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests that older, fair-skinned people have a yearly skin check by a doctor as part of a regular physical exam.

The results showed that, six months after treatment, effects of Restylane and Zyplast as wrinkle fillers were comparable.

As reported by patients within 14 days following first treatment, Restylane treated side had a lower incidence of severe redness (5.1% vs. 5.8) and an increased incidence of severe bruising (3.6% vs. 0.7%), severe swelling (3.6% vs. 1.4%), severe pain (3.6% vs. 1.4%), and severe tenderness (2.9% vs. 1.4%) compared with Zyplast treated side. These incidents were lower with follow up injections for both products.

There was limited data in study on safety of Restylane in non-caucasians. The firm, Q-Med AB of Sweden, has agreed to conduct a post approval study in people of color to determine product’s safety for this population. The firm will also provide training to physicians on correct use of device.