Snag a derm appointment fast if you spot a suspicious mark, you need to be seen by an MD as soon as possible not weeks later, when it could be more serious.

Try a dermatologist you’ve gone to before. New patients need more time for an initial appointment and are more difficult to fit in at a moment’s notice.

When you first speak to the receptionist, use phrases like “Im really worried. I think it might be urgent.” She’s more likely to make you a priority if you sound truly concerned.

Describe the mark in the detail, and be specific. Don’t just say it looks weird; tell her that it’s bleeding or is multicolored. These are signs that it could be lethal.

Growing Epidemic!!!
The statistics of Melanoma are pretty alarming. Though the disease accounts for only 4percent of all new cancers, it is responsible for three-quarters of skin-cancer deaths. The other types, basal cell and squamous cell, while sometimes disfiguring, tend not to metastasize and are, therefore, less deadly. The American Cancer Society estimates that there are more than 1 million new cases of these two skin-cancer type each year.
“All three forms of skin cancer have increased over the past few decades.” Explains Richard D. Granstien, MD, chairman of the department of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. Melanoma is no exception: Since 1980, the incidence rate of melanoma has increased 3 percent per year.
Evidence is growing that the cause of the increase is greater UV-light exposure, either from the sun (perhaps aided by a thinning ozone layer that offers less of a barrier against its rays) or, as mentioned before with my previous post, from the UV light emitted by indoor-tanning equipment.
The proof is so strong that the National Institutes of Health declared UV light to be known carcinogen, whether its source is outdoor or indoor. “The scientific evidence that tanning parlours cause cancer is irrefutable,” explains David J. Leffell, MD, professor of dermatology and surgery at Yale School of Medicine, “Yet, at an age they can’t even legally buy cigarettes or alcohol, teens can buy time in a salon in many states.”

The Three Skin-Cancer Types
Melanoma- can be flat with irregular edges, like a candle dripping.
Squamous Cell- can resemble a red, scaly bug bite.
Basal Cell- often looks shiny and pinkish and translucent.