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A regular professional skin exam can help find skin cancer lesions during the early stages, improving your response to treatment. At the office of Tatyana Ponti, MD, in Little Silver, New Jersey, the board-certified internal medicine physician performs thorough skin exams, along with skin biopsies when appropriate. Don’t wait to schedule your next skin exam. Call the office or book an appointment online today.
What is a skin exam?
A skin exam is an evaluation of your skin. It’s a screening tool health care providers use to find abnormal skin growths and skin cancer lesions.
Every day, nearly 10,000 people in the United States find out they have skin cancer. Unlike most other types of cancer, you can see skin cancer with your eye. Regular skin exams can find skin cancer during the early stages, when it’s more responsive to treatment, improving your chances of a full recovery.
Tatyana Ponti, MD, specializes in skin health and offers professional skin exams.
When should I get a skin exam?
There are no set guidelines for skin exams and skin cancer screenings. But you should get a professional skin exam if you’re at risk of developing skin cancer.
The following are some of the factors that may increase your risk of skin cancer:
- Blue or green eyes
- Hair that’s naturally red or blonde
- Fair skin that freckles in the sun
- Personal history of a bad sunburn
- Spending a lot of time in the sun
You should also schedule a skin exam if you have any abnormal skin growths or concerns about skin cancer.
What do I do to prepare for a skin exam?
The staff at Tatyana Ponti, MD, explains what you need to do to prepare for your skin exam. They may ask that you do a self-exam before your appointment to locate growths of concern.
They also ask you to remove nail polish and makeup before your exam and wear your hair loose.
What can I expect during a skin exam?
A skin exam is thorough but quick. After you change into an exam gown, your provider carefully examines your skin, starting at the top of your head and ending at the bottom of your feet. They make a note of any abnormalities or growths they want to monitor.
If your provider finds growths of concern, they may have you return for a skin biopsy to remove it and send it to the lab for analysis. The team may also schedule a follow-up skin exam to monitor any concerning skin growths.
Call the office of Tatyana Ponti, MD, to schedule your next skin exam, or use the online booking feature today.