Right up there with wearing sunscreen daily is getting regular skin checks for skin cancer. "It is so important that people start getting annual skin cancer screenings in their 20s to help catch and detect skin cancer," board-certified dermatologist Orit Markowitz, MD, said. "Early detection is crucial to treating skin cancer before it becomes melanoma."
If you're prone to moles or have a history of skin cancer, Dr. Markowitz actually recommended going biannual and ensuring your doctor uses a dermatoscope. "This is a hand-held microscope that has double the magnification and uses polarised lighting that allows us to look at your skin with more clarity," she said. "Currently, only 50 percent of dermatologists use this, and without utilising this tool, you really are not getting a proper skin screening."