Going to the doctor is routine for many of us. We go to yearly checkups to make sure that everything in our body is running the way it's supposed to. We even see specialists who know what warning signs to look for as we get older.
But no one would ever expect a hair stylist to be the one to spot cancer in one of her customers.
Eileen Korey was booked for a coloring appointment with stylist Kari Phillips, whom she had seen just three weeks before.
As the stylist was scanning her client's head, she noticed a rather frightening-looking brown spot. She asked Eileen if she had hit her head, but she hadn't. The spot was dime-sized, varied in color, had odd edges, and was flat.
This was the first time the stylist had seen the spot, which meant that it had developed quickly. She urged Eileen to see a doctor, and it's a good thing she did: the spot turned out to be in situ melanoma, or stage 0 cancer. Eileen caught it just in time, thanks to her friend!
Eileen Korey booked an appointment with her hair stylist three weeks after her last one for a coloring job.
But as the stylist was sectioning her hair, something quite alarming caught her eye.
It was a dime-sized brown spot that varied in color and had irregular edges. It looked like a bruise, but Eileen had not hit her head recently.
The stylist urged her client to see a doctor, so Eileen went to a dermatologist right away.
After a biopsy, it was confirmed: Eileen was diagnosed with in situ melanoma, which is stage 0 cancer. The cancer was still located in the top layer of her skin, and not deeper.
Thanks to her stylist's good eye, Eileen's melanoma will be removed in August 2017. Afterward, she will likely be fine and cancer-free!
Eileen's tale is certainly a cautionary one, and reminds everyone that wearing hats and protecting your skin is of the utmost importance.
Dermatologists help people spot their cancer using the ABCDE technique. If they find a mole or a spot, they should look for the following, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation:
- A — An asymmetrical appearance
- B — Unusual scalloped, uneven, and notched borders
- C — Spots with different colors, like brown, tan, and black or white, blue, and red
- D — Spots larger in diameter than the eraser on your pencil tip (¼ inch or 6mm)
- E — Spots that evolve in size, shape, color, elevation, or another trait
Please SHARE if you want to spread the message about how to avoid and detect skin cancer!
