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A melanoma although the being the most dangerous of skin cancers can usually be cured if caught early. They generally appear as new spots or from an already present mole or freckle that changes in shape, size and colour. If caught early and the melanoma has not spread beyond the skins layers, treatment is quite straight forward and a wider excision on the affected area is performed as surgery.

However, once diagnosed with a melanoma you are considered to be at a higher risk of developing another primary melanoma in the future. Therefore it is crucial that preventative steps are taken to minimise the risk as much as possible. The most obvious way of preventing melanoma is to avoid going out in the sun during the hottest times of the day. This tends to be between 11am to 3pm when the sun’s rays are at their most harmful. Even the mildest form of sunburn can damage skin cells and potentially lead to melanoma. The area where the melanoma was removed from should under no circumstances be exposed to the sun. It is paramount to take this seriously as a precaution and adopt a sensible attitude if it means a positive prognosis.

Apart from avoiding harmful sunrays it is recommended to cover up by wearing close weave cotton clothing or long sleeves and trousers. The parts of the body exposed to the sun should be covered in a high factor sun cream. Sunglasses should be worn to protect the eyes and a hat to protect the face, neck and scalp.

Never succumb to going on a sun bed in place of natural sunbathing as there are claims that there is an increased risk to developing a melanoma when doing so. But more importantly if you notice anything out of the ordinary seek the advice of your Doctor. The early you suspect something is not quite as it should be the quicker and more effective the treatment will take place.