If you have noticed your teen has a lot of freckles and moles that are changing in figure or shape, and they are constantly in the sun, it's time to check in with a dermatologist. You can never be too safe when it comes to checking if your child has skin cancer, and you want to be sure that you aren't letting a serious problem slide. There are a lot of signs that indicate that your teen should be checked out, and even just having many freckles can indicate that the skin is sensitive. Consider these different things.

Routine Appointments Prevent Severe Treatment

Routine appointments for the dermatologist to check the freckles and moles can help catch a problem that is changing shape or color, to treat it before it becomes a more serious condition. Not only should your teen learn how to check their own blemishes so they can notice if something is wrong on their own when they get out of the shower, but they should also be seen annually, or even bi-annually if they have a high risk of skin cancer.

Treatments Can Vary

If your teen has a mole or freckles that is showing concerns, or there is an area on the skin that the dermatologist is worried about, the treatments will vary. Your teen may get a skin application that has a topical chemotherapy application, and you will want to make sure they are doing this as directed at home.

The other treatments may require that the area is removed, that the teen undergoes radiation and chemotherapy treatments, and then the other areas are watched closely on the body to see if they are as severe as the mole or blemish that had to be removed. Follow up appointments may be needed to see if the topical treatments are working, or if an alternative option is needed.

Make sure that your teen understands the important of having their skin protected by both sunscreen and clothing at all times, and that they are covering their eyes and face when they can. There are a lot of ways that you can avoid sunburns and too much UV exposure to the skin, and ways that you can prevent most types of skin cancers. Talk with the local dermatologist, such as at Center Of Dermatology PC/Herschel E Stoller MD, to check your teen's skin condition now, and to see what precautions need to be done from this point on.