As we grow older, for many of us, the sins of our past are catching up to us. I was a baby-oil tanner (when I remembered to put anything on at all) in my teenage years. Later I used a tanning booth whenever I had a chance. Now at the ripe old age of 36 I have had two moles removed for biopsy. One had to be done twice, it came back after the first biopsy. The first time it was just a mole with some abnormal cells. The next time the biopsy said Malignant Melanoma. It was restricted to the mole its self (In Situ), so no further treatment was needed. My second mole was just a mole. I was lucky I pay such close attention to my freckles and moles. (also called nevi)

What does that have to do with your career as a Nail Technician? Well, in the 10 years I have been doing nails I have also found 3 skin cancers on my clients. Two were Basal Cell Carcinomas and one was a Melanoma. We see out clients once every 2 or three weeks so we notice skin irregularities that change slowly over a period of time. You need to speak up, you don't want to be an alarmist, but it took three or four comments by me to get the woman with the melanoma to go to the doctor. She wound up having to have such a large chunk taken out of the back of her hand a skin graft was needed.

"According to the American Academy of Dermatology, one person dies from malignant melanoma every hour. The overall incidence rate for the disease is increasing faster than that of any other cancer and by the year 2000, an American's lifetime risk of developing melanoma will be one in 75. The disease is now the most commonly occurring cancer in women between the ages of 25 and 29 -- and is second only to breast cancer in women ages 30 to 34. " - Sept. 24, 1996 /PRNewswire; SOURCE: Schering-Plough Corporation.

Here are some things to educate yourself with. I found lots of photos to help you to know what to look for (These are pretty graphis images, many from my Dermatologists' reference guide.) Of course I don't need to tell you to let a doctor make the diagnosis. Your part is just to spot a suspicious area and inform your client so she/he can keep an eye on it.

There are three forms of skin cancer. These are Malignant Melanoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma

There is also a precancerous lesion called actinic keratosis. These small, flat, scaly spots are most commonly found on the face and back of the hands in fair-skinned individuals who have had years of sun exposure. If not treated, some of them may become skin cancer.

When we are children a true mole typically appears as a flat dark freckle. As we grow, it may stay flat (called a "junctional nevus"), or become raised ("intradermal nevus") - with or without hair or pigment (color). A changing mole does not automaticly mean skin cancer. For instance, a change in a raised mole is rarely significant. And moles can get larger and darker during pregnancy. The scaly, wart like type mole are usually seborrheic keratosis and are not precancerous.
If a melanoma does arise in a pre-existing mole, it is usually a flat mole. That type of mole is called a "dysplastic nevus" and is larger than a pencil eraser with blurred pink and brown edges. The center may be somewhat darker and/or raised. The melanoma page has more information and photos.

• Seborrheic Keratosis, those tan to black color, scaly wart-like growths. They can appear anywhere on the body.
• Skin Tags are a variant on the above. These are seen on the sides of the neck, eye lids, under the arms or breasts and on the inner thigh. They can be flesh colored or pigmented. These are not moles and are noncancerous.
• Cherry Angiomas are small red spots on the trunk of both men and women. These are small dilated capillaries they are quite common.
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