Get Checked!
Switch Magazine - Edition 3 - July 17, 2013
Get Checked! By Talia Rinaldo
For most of us, summer loving is an Aussie ritual — long sunny days, beach, friends, ice cream and basking in the holiday season! But pushing aside the fun, your skin probably doesn’t enjoy the summer months quite as much. With the past few months reaching scorching temperatures, the UV rays have been at extremes — causing more damage to our skin! The truth is the sun just isn’t safe. Getting your skin checked is the smartest, most responsible and best action you can take for yourself.
Skin cancer occurs when skin cells are damaged. Cancer Council Australia has found that between 95 and 99% of skin cancer in Australia is caused by exposure to the sun, with two out of every three Australians developing skin cancer at least once in our lifetime. Melanoma is the third most common cancer in Australian men and women aged 15-44 years.
The benefits of a skin check are just too good to ignore — the sooner skin cancer is identified and treated, there is a better chance of avoiding surgery or even more serious outcomes, including death. In 2008, there were more than 1800 deaths from melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer; it could easily be you this year! Your doctor will just check your skin and inspect any suspicious spots, asking the necessary questions regarding your activity in the sun. It takes no time at all and most places bulk bill, so just bring your Medicare card along with you. Visits are usually recommended once a year to have a check up and make sure nothing has developed, unless your doctor advises otherwise. That’s 1 day out of 356 — not a bad price to pay for your health.
If this is persuasive enough for you, at least become familiar with your skin. Know your body so you can notice any changes that may suggest skin cancer. This includes any sores that fail to heal, red or pale small lumps and new spots, freckles and moles that change in shape, size and colour over a few weeks. These are your warning signs so don’t ignore them. Booking into a skin cancer clinic might seem scary and you may not think it’s even necessary, but trust me, it’s easy and definitely worth it.
The best place in Geelong to get checked is at Qutis Skin Check Clinic, Geelong’s only general practice based skin check clinic. This means all you need to do is make an appointment with them first, no doctor appointments necessary. However, any general doctors clinic can perform these checks as well.
For more information and statistics visit the Cancer Council Australia website at www.cancer.org.au