Hearing the word, "cancer" from a physician is terrifying, particularly if you weren't aware that it was a possibility. The truth is that the disease is real, and although research is constant and has been successful in determining a number of treatment options, not all kinds of cancer are curable.
Melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma are the most prevalent forms of skin cancer to appear on the face. They can be caused by a number of factors, such as cigarette smoke, unprotected interaction with the sun, age, genetics, and chemicals.
Recognizing the early signs of skin cancer on your face can save your life. The earlier that the presence of cancer is detected and treatment begins, the more possible it is to survive it successfully. Of course, with all types of cancer, skin cancer can reappear over time, which is why it is so important to not only know which signs to look for, but to continue checking yourself for changes even after the initial cancer has been removed.
Changes to Look For:
The first of the early signs of skin cancer on your face is found in any physical change to your skin's appearance. This can be a physical bump, nodules, color change, a new mole, or anything else that seems out of the ordinary. In many cases, a mole or a new freckle is nothing to get nervous about, but from time to time it is these little appearances that help you to detect skin cancer before it spreads.
With skin cancer, it isn't always a standard mole, or an irregular bump on the surface of your skin that startles you to the fact that there is something wrong beneath the surface. Legions, scaly patches, and cutaneous horns can also become visible.
Pain and Sensitivity:
As with many forms of cancer, particularly those that affect the skin, there are aches and pains. Some of the first noticeable signs are those that you feel in terms of discomfort, pain, itching, and sensitivity to touch. Unfortunately, these symptoms can be the most difficult to place, because pain and itching could be due to a number of causes. It is for this reason that it is so crucial to focus on all of the changes in your skin, rather than on one individual sign of cancer.
Rough Swollen Lips:
Early signs of skin cancer on your face can appear anywhere from the forehead to the chin region, but sometimes it's less noticeable when it is located in highly pigmented areas. Dryness, scaly skin, and bumps on the lips, sometimes referred to as farmer's lips, or actinic cheilitis can first be thought to be nothing more than chapped lips.
Pay very close attention to the signs that your body sends you, especially in changes to skin, whether in visibility or texture. If you are worried that any of the above mentioned early signs of skin cancer on your face could be more, speak to your doctor as soon as possible. As mentioned above, treating cancer early on raises the chances of a successful recovery.