This is seriously scary! Khloe Kardashian recently took to her app to tell her fans about her own skin cancer scare and encourage them to avoid a similar situation by having their skin checked. Ahead, read a NYC dermatologist’s tips for preventing skin cancer.
Khloe Kardashian, 32, has never held back when it comes to her private life. But while we’re used to reading about sillier moments on her app, her recent post is nothing to laugh about. The reality TV star took a moment to tell fans about her skin cancer scare that can happen to anyone.
Sharing that she regularly has her skin checked and has had moles removed in the past, Khloe revealed that one of the moles on her back was cancerous. “I had 8 inches of skin removed,” she wrote. “It was definitely painful because it was a lot of skin, but most of the time, the removals haven’t been that bad,” she went on to say. And since one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, we reached out to NYC Dermatologist and Sea Radiance Founder, Dr. Debra Jaliman, for advice on staying healthy.
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Firstly, Dr. Jaliman stresses that you should be visiting the derm once each year for a full skin check. If you haven’t been yet Dr. Jaliman explains exactly what the simple procedure entails. “The process includes taking off your clothes and changing into a gown [so] your dermatologist [can] check your skin in a well-lit room using a special magnifying glass,” she says. “They’ll perform a thorough exam looking at your skin, including in between your toes. Photographs may be taken of any suspicious moles and a biopsy may be performed if anything doesn’t look right,” she adds. If a biopsy is needed, Dr. Jaliman says to expect “a 10-minute procedure, under local anesthetic. Then, the biopsy is sent to a lab for review.”
While we all know that it’s important to wear sunscreen during the summer months, Dr. Jaliman stresses that to lessen your chances of developing skin cancer, it’s important to wear SPF 30 daily. It’s also important to know if you are more at risk to develop skin cancer in the first place. “You are more at risk for skin cancer if your family has a history, if you have more than 50 moles, if you have had multiple sunburns before the age of 18 or if you use tanning beds frequently,” Dr. Jaliman explains.
As for what you should be looking out for, Dr. Jaliman says, “See your dermatologist if your mole bleeds, itches, changes size, becomes irregular or changes color.”
HollywoodLifers, do you regularly get skin checks? Do you plan to be more diligent with your skin care after hearing Khloe’s scary story?
