Freckles
All humans have freckles. This is especially true for fair-skinned people who have been exposed to the sun actively or passively. Although the vast majority of moles are benign and throughout life do not become a skin cancer, it is necessary to periodically check with the dermatologist, as they have a course and can undergo changes. Most skin cancers appear in apparently healthy areas of skin, with no previous lesions or freckles.
However, some melanomas (very aggressive skin cancer and particularly frequent in young people) can originate in an old mole. However, some melanomas (very aggressive skin cancer and particularly frequent in young people) can originate in an old freckle. Freckles (melanocytic nevus) are composed of pigmented cells (melanocytes) that are arranged as paving stones on the surface of the skin. These melanocytes undergo changes and reproduce throughout life, either by sun exposure or spontaneously. Some of these changes (dysplasia) can increase the risk of degeneration in malignant cells and become a melanoma.
For this reason, it is vital that we take care of our freckles and be aware of the new ones that appear to us and the changes that may be suffered by the old ones. The visual signs that should alarm us are the black coloration, the rapid growth of the mole or its irregularity with respect to the form or color. However, these signs usually appear in a relatively advanced period of the tumor. Ideally, should be detected the most incipient changes to avoid future risks by making an early treatment. The tool that allows us the early detection of microscopic changes in the structure of the freckles and achieve a very early diagnosis of the skin cancer is digital Dermoscopy. By means of a digitized freckle scanner (Fotofinder Bodystudio) it is possible to map all the pigmented lesions of a person and detect minimal changes that indicate a risk of degeneration in cancer. It also facilitates us to take microscopic photographs of each and every one of them and store them so that in the next visit with the dermatologist we can compare them and observe minor variations.
Digital body dermatoscopy, a pioneering and totally innocuous technique for the patient, has marked a before and after in the early diagnosis of skin cancer and makes possible the early detection and the elimination of any mole that may be at risk of future degeneration to a skin cancer. Also, it also serves to diagnose an already established skin cancer, to guide us about its degree of evolution and to propose the best possible treatment, whether or not with surgery.
For all these reasons it is advisable that at least once a year, we visit the dermatologist to review with Dermatoscopy all the freckles we have and do a body mapping for the prevention of future risks
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