Crying About Skin Cancer

Practical Pointers
Discover Shortcuts Devised by Colleagues 

Often teenagers and young adults are surprised when I tell them that their skin has signs of sun damage. They erroneously believe that the solar lentigines on their face, chest, and shoulders have been there since birth or are normal. To the doubting, actinically damaged folks I exclaim, “Your skin is crying, and these brown spots are tears!” They often chuckle, but this simple metaphor sticks in their memory much longer than any melanoma or sunscreen handout.