Dr. K S Ram

Melanoma, also referred to as malignant melanoma, is a type of cancer. It evolves from the color or pigment containing cells known as melanocytes. Melanomas normally happen in the skin, yet may once in a while it may happen in the mouth, guts, or eyes as well. In women, it generally happens in the legs, while in men they are most regularly on the back. Sometime a mole may also raise your concern by increasing in size, developing abnormal edges, a change of color or itching and irritability. This may also prompt breakdown of the skin.

Some general facts on melanoma are mentioned below:
1. More than one million new instances of skin cancer or melanoma are analyzed every year.
2. There has been a 2000% increase in rate of melanoma since the year 1930. One out of fifty get affected by this cancer.
3. This is common in young women and causes many deaths.
4. Women below the age of forty are at more risk of getting melanoma than any other kind of cancer such as breast cancer.
5. There has been a high rise in the rate of melanoma from 1970 to 2008. There has been an 800% increase in young women and 400% increase in case of similar aged men.

Primary causes:
Melanomia may be caused primarily due to these causes:

1. The most primary cause of melanoma is ultraviolet light (UV) in people with a low level of skin pigment. The UV light might be from either the sun or from different sources, for example, tanning devices. Around 25% of cases occur from or in the form of moles. 
2. Those with numerous moles, presence of the disease in family members and who have poor immunity are at more noteworthy risk to get melanoma. Various uncommon hereditary defects, such as xeroderma pigmentosum increase the risk of melanoma.
3. The individuals who work on airplanes seem to have an expanded danger, due to more contact with UV rays.
4. Ultraviolet UVB light of wavelengths between 315 - 280 nm from the sun react with the skin cell DNA and result in a kind of direct DNA harm called cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs). 

In order to stay away or avoid melanoma, you should:

1. Spend less time in direct sunlight and should seek shade.
2. Avoid the sun at peak hours.
3. Examine your skin at times for some kind of change.
4. Keep away from tanning salons.

Melanoma is a dangerous form of cancer and causes a lot of deaths. You should stay away from anything that causes melanoma.

Some people are lucky enough to get a dark spot in the exact place as Cindy Crawford's mole. For the not so lucky others, the only way out is to get rid of them. Zap it, buzz it and eliminate it permanently. One way to do it is with lasers. Laser is a focused beam of light that has just one colour. When directed towards a problem area on the skin, it destroys that particular pigment or tissue without affecting the surrounding areas. Laser is being used to treat brown spots, scars, unwanted hair follicles, and for tattoo removal. Lasers are also used to treat and remove brown and red spots, liver spots, age spots, sun spots, broken capillaries, birthmarks and angiomas.

Most women continue to lead a normal life with dark spots until they start feeling conscious about it. If dark spots are leading you to run from the sun and undervalue your looks, get them treated easily with laser.

• How to choose your practitioner?: When you visit a doctor for treatment, the only way to know if the doctor is right for you is by asking a lot of questions. Ask them about their training and their experience in treating particular types of spots. Another wise thing to check is the number of lasers the clinic has. Some small set ups have just one type of laser, which they recommend to all their patients. It is not just a question of experience and skill but also trust, which will ultimately help you choose the right doctor for your treatment. Also, you may be tempted to try a particular laser treatment since it worked wonders for your friend. Refrain from doing so.
• Types of laser treatment: Your type of treatment will typically be chosen depending on the severity of your dark spots - how dark they are, at what depth in the dermis do they occur, what amount of area they cover, and how old they are. The dermis is six layers deep, so the depth where the spots start can determine what laser your face will need in order to get rid of them. If your spot is fairly new and is only on the top layer, the doctor will start with the first level. Because laser can reach deep down in the dermis, it works where other treatments don't. The treatment does involve a degree of pain and sore skin, but it can yield good results if done right.
• Cost of laser treatment: Laser treatment will cost less than all the money you spend on over-the-counter skin lightening creams over years. It will also cost lesser than the amount of money you spend in buying high quality concealers over time. The cost will typically depend on the type of set up (spa or clinic) and the expertise of the practitioner.

Within the human body, there are certain parts, which are more prone to stress and friction than others. All joints are susceptible to this, but even within the joints, the knees are even more of a stress point.

The skin on the knees, as well as the bones, the joint and the cartilage, are highly susceptible to wear and tear. Due to frequent rubbing and friction, the skin can be put under much stress and thus, may cause skin conditions as well.

One of the most common skin conditions that many face is the hardening and darkening of the knees.

This may happen due to,

- Continuous friction from clothing
- Playing sports out in the sun where the knees may be exposed
- Excessive keratin on the skin on the knees
- Resting on the knees for long periods of time
- Other physiological conditions that may result in skin pigmentation

There are some quick remedies that can be used to rectify or at least lessen the dark patches on the knees.

• Cleansing or exfoliating - Dead skin cells may build up in layers and cause the darkening of the knees and, thus, it is important to regularly exfoliate or scrub with a gentle soap. In mild cases, this alone can take care of the problems of dark knees.
• Using lemon juice - Applying lemon juice 2 times daily for a few days regularly will reduce the dark areas and lighten the skin.
• Moisturizing the skin - Applying a moisturizer regularly on the skin will keep it hydrated and also help in reducing dead skin cells piling up. This will prevent and also lessen the darkening of the skin on the knees.

However, home remedies or treatments may not be the solution in all cases as there may be underlying physical causes, which need to be treated at a deeper level. In such cases, it is prudent to seek dermatological treatment.

'Consult'.

Related Tip: 5 Acts That Can Rid You of Dark Circles