How often do I need a skin exam?

You should do a self-exam once a month, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. It is important to check all the skin on your body, including your scalp, to look for changes or new growths. If you notice any of the following, see your Lower Merion Family Medicine provider for a skin exam promptly.

• New skin growths
• Changes in the color, size, borders, or symmetry of existing moles or skin growths
• Skin growths that itch, bleed, or break open regularly

It is also a good idea to see your Lower Merion Family Medicine care provider for a skin screening on a regular basis, especially if you are at risk for skin cancer or have concerns about skin cancer.

What is the best method of wart removal?

Although there are other methods, such as acid peeling, the simplest and most effective method for wart removal today is cryotherapy. In cryotherapy, your Lower Merion Family Medicine care provider applies a liquid nitrogen solution directly to your wart.

In the days that follow the treatment, the liquid nitrogen triggers a blister beneath and all around the wart. Within about a week, you will shed the wart naturally.

How does a biopsy work?

At Lower Merion Family Medicine, your doctor performs biopsies on-site for your convenience. Usually, a punch biopsy is the most effective way to get a sufficient tissue sample to test for skin cancer.

Your doctor administers a local anesthesia to ensure that the punch biopsy is not painful. The procedure takes only a few minutes. Your doctor removes only about a circular 3-4 mm section of tissue from the center of the skin growth in most cases, so, at most, you may need a few tiny sutures.

If your biopsy shows that the skin growth is cancerous, your Lower Merion Family Medicine doctor will work with you to help you become cancer-free. The good news about skin cancer is that it is one of the most easily treated kinds of cancer if you catch it early. That is why keeping up with your skin exams is so important.