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Preventive Dermatology
Preventive dermatology focuses on maintaining skin health over time and identifying concerns as early as possible. This includes thorough skin examinations, monitoring for precancerous changes, and practical guidance on sun protection and self-exams. Finding problems early often allows for simpler treatment and better long-term outcomes.
For patients at increased risk, we may also discuss additional preventive options. These can include select oral supplements with evidence supporting a protective benefit for the skin, as well as topical treatments applied to broader areas of sun-damaged skin to address early or developing precancerous changes. Any recommendations are made thoughtfully, based on individual risk factors, preferences, and overall health.
- Regular Skin Self-Exams
- Regular self-exams can help detect skin changes early. When checking your skin, watch for:
- • A new or changing spot, especially one that looks different from others
- • A sore that does not heal or that repeatedly bleeds
- Regular self-exams can help detect skin changes early. When checking your skin, watch for:
- ABCDEs of Moles Guide
- A – Asymmetry: one half does not match the other
- B – Border: edges are irregular, scalloped, or poorly defined
- C – Color: variation in color or multiple shadesD – Diameter: larger than about 6 mm (roughly the size of a pencil eraser)
- E – Evolving: changes in size, shape, color, or symptoms over time
- If you notice any of these changes, or something that simply doesn’t look or feel right, we encourage you to contact our office for prompt evaluation.
Skin Cancer Screening
During a skin cancer screening, your skin is examined head to toe with careful attention to your comfort and preferences. We take time to look closely at areas of concern while also assessing the skin as a whole. Tools such as dermoscopy are used alongside your medical history and clinical judgment to improve accuracy and guide next steps.
When appropriate, biopsies or treatments can often be performed during the same visit to limit the need for additional appointments. If a concerning finding is identified, we discuss the findings clearly and review options together.
Regular skin examinations at Syracuse Dermatology can help identify skin changes as early as possible, when treatment is often simpler and more effective. Some patients may benefit from more frequent screening based on individual risk factors, which may include:
- A personal or family history of skin cancer
- Certain genetic conditions associated with increased skin cancer risk
- Prior tanning bed use
- Use of immunosuppressive or photosensitizing medications that cannot be changed
Your history is reviewed carefully to determine an appropriate and personalized screening schedule for you.
- Common Benign Findings
- Many skin checks identify non-cancerous growths that do not require treatment unless they cause symptoms or concern. Common examples include:
- • Seborrheic keratoses (normal “skin overgrowths”)
- • Cherry angiomas (normal “blood vessel growths”)
- • Benign nevi (normal “moles”)
- • Lentigines (normal “sun spots”)
- Many skin checks identify non-cancerous growths that do not require treatment unless they cause symptoms or concern. Common examples include:
- Precancerous lesions
- These findings reflect early sun damage and are often treated to reduce the chance of progression
- • Actinic keratoses (precancers with risk of developing into a squamous cell carcinoma)
- • Atypical melanocytic hyperplasia or atypical melanocytic proliferation (abnormal overgrowth of pigment-producing cells with a risk of progression to melanoma)
- These findings reflect early sun damage and are often treated to reduce the chance of progression
- Atypical moles
- Some moles have abnormal features under the microscope and cannot be reliably predicted to behave normally over time. Because of this uncertainty, removal is often recommended:
- • Severely dysplastic nevus (atypical mole but not considered precancerous by most dermatologists)
- Some moles have abnormal features under the microscope and cannot be reliably predicted to behave normally over time. Because of this uncertainty, removal is often recommended:
- Skin Cancers That May Be Detected
- Skin examinations are also designed to identify skin cancers at an early stage, when outcomes are generally better. Types that may be found include:
- • Basal cell carcinoma
- • Squamous cell carcinoma in situ
- • Squamous cell carcinoma
- • Melanoma
- • Merkel cell carcinoma
- • Sebaceous carcinoma
- If something concerning is found, we review the diagnosis and next steps clearly, which may include monitoring, biopsy, or treatment.
- Skin examinations are also designed to identify skin cancers at an early stage, when outcomes are generally better. Types that may be found include: