LET’S CHECK IN
The response from the Melbourne and broader Victorian community during the COVID-19 second wave lockdown has been amazing. For the most part, people have obeyed the chief health officers orders and stayed home where they can. Thankfully, the results so far are looking promising.
An unexpected and worrying consequence of this however, is that people are accessing health services significantly less than usual. “Our concern is that we don’t want people to miss or ignore signs or symptoms which may be indicative of a serious health concern, and as a result have their health deteriorate,” says DIV’s Director, Associate Professor Greg Goodman.
There may be a number of factors involved with this shift in behaviour, such as fear of catching COVID-19 or else an altruistic misconception that healthcare workers need to be freed up for fighting the pandemic.
The reality at DIV is that we still available for a broad range of dermatology services and have taken strict infection control steps to ensure everyone’s ongoing safety in our clinic.
LET’S TALK BUSINESS - SKIN CHECKS
Now that Spring has arrived and lockdown measures are slowly being decreased, the time is perfect to get back into the routine of skin-checks.
A self skin check is simple; it takes around fifteen minutes and the only tools required are yourself and a mirror. It is vital however to understand what you’re looking for - the difference between what is benign and sinister.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR -
-New spots, especially those occurring over months, rather than days or years
-Existing spots that have changed in size, shape or colour
-Moles that take on an outline that becomes notched
-A spot that becomes raised or has developed a lump
-Spots that have developed a rough, scaly surface
If you have any concerns, do not hesitate in getting in contact with us; we run a variety of services to help with the detection and treatment of skin cancer, including mole checking.
OUR RAPID ACCESS CLINIC WILL RETURN ON FRIDAY 30TH OF OCTOBER.
Yearly checks provide a baseline for mapping any changes in your body. This can lead to that all-important early intervention which can potentially mean the difference between health and illness.
Finally, remind your friends!
Once again, if you have any concerns, please give us a call on (03) 9826 4966