OHIO — With the temperature rising and people head outside, skin care is key.

What You Need To Know

  • May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month

  • Dr. Diana Ponsky is a plastic surgeon in Beachwood

  • She said there are many ways to keep your skin safe and prevent damage

Dr. Diana Ponsky said she wants to shine the spotlight on Skin Cancer Awareness Month. She demonstrated for Spectrum News how she found a pre-cancer on a patient’s nose, which was diagnosed before it could get worse. 

“The statistics are in our favor, meaning over 99% survival at five years, and so that is great because the prognosis is really good, but it relies on early detection. Because it is one of the most preventable cancers, too,” she explained.

Her patient, Lynette Boyd, found a lesion on her face that kept coming back. She had it looked at and learned it was actinic keratosis, a common pre-cancer that forms on skin damaged by chronic exposure to UV rays. After getting it treated, she said she’s happy it was spotted early and hopes others will be more aware. 

“If your skin looks different, if it feels different than it normally does, have it checked out immediately. Wear your SPF. I never did. I never wore an SPF. I do now. I wear it every single day, and I watch for different changes in my skin, and if I see a different change in my skin, I make an appointment and have it looked at,” said Boyd. 

Ponsky said the obvious way to keep your skin healthy is putting on sunscreen. Just about any brand will work as long as it has an SPF of at least 30. Make sure you get some protection on your lips and ears, but also keep in mind, this isn’t just for when you go to the pool or beach. 

“They’re like, ‘oh I’m just in and out, I’m not in the sun. I’m just going to run to the grocery store'. But sun finds a way to get to you,” said Ponsky. “The sun’s rays will catch you anywhere. It will reflect off the pavement, off the water, it’ll reflect off your car windows.” 

As Ponsky continues to help patients prevent as much skin damage as possible, she’s hoping this Skin Cancer Awareness month will educate as many as possible.

“If I can educate my patients on application of sunscreen every morning, that helps. If I can educate my patients to say to their aunt or uncle, ‘hey, that spots been there for two to three weeks, you should probably have your dermatologist or primary care doctor take a look at it.’ It’s one of those cancers that you do really well from if we detect it early,” said Ponsky.