Skin cancer????

How do you know if you have skin cancer? I have been using tanning beds everyday for the past almost 2 weeks and was wondering how can you tell if you have it or not? I am soo burnt from going everyday and cant stop itching but learning about skin cancer is scaring me pretty bad.

See a dermatologist or just your gp, and have him/her inspect any moles or spots on your body. That is the first sign, large, hairy, bumpy, or misshapen spots should be removed and tested. Also, stop going to tanning beds and use a cream if you really are worried about it that much.

The ONLY way to tell if you have ANY kind of cancer is a biopsy.

Well you should moderate yourself or suffer the consequences.

Every day? You know u can die from too much exposure to UV light. There was a girl not too long ago that died because she went too much just from the damage it did to the inside of her let alone skin cancer.

you should see a doctor, using tanning beds period is bad, using it everyday is horrible, you should definitely see a doctor

look at your moles, seriously examine your body. If your moles, are very red or changing color. If they have changed shape, color, size etc. You should probably see a doctor. Though if caught rite away it is very curable and no chemotherapy or anything like that.

stop going tanning. there's no point in trying to be darker, you are what you are....for natural skin color i mean.

Skin cancer is normal visible by mole's showing up on your skin. You should get them checked out by a doctor.
I was 13 and never used a sunbed when I had my first skin cancer scare and had to have a mole removed

you have to stop all this tanning, i suggest seeing a doctor, but for advice on looks, if you want to change your apperance, do it the safe and natural way ^_^

pls stop tanning, most guys like a little tan but not THAT MUCH. Besides, tanning beds are VERY carcinogenic. Look out for spots or changes in colour, lump and that kinds thing. I doubt u have cancer but pls stop taking teh unneccessary risk.

u look good in ur avatar btw!

sun burns commonly itch. you will know it is often very noticeable. if you see any strange changes in pigment notify a doctor.

Don't let the others freak you out. Stop using the tanning bed so often, and let your burn heal as well. Itching is definetely a side effect of being burnt. If your worried, go to the doctor.

You don't get skin cancer overnight but if you continue to burn yourself you will increase your chances.

Skin cancer takes years to develop. Sunburn increases your risk of getting skin cancer (and it sounds like you've been way over-doing it).

As you get older keep an eye out for skin changes (moles that change, rough spots that show up for no reason, etc)... then see your dermatologist.

Google skin cancer or melanomas. The sites have pictures and often describe symptoms.

Don't fret, it doesn't happen to beginners overnight. It will take a bit longer. You're probably just (sun)burned and that will itch.
BUT, many burns can cause skin cancer so avoid risky activities.

these are all signs of skin cancer. A reddish or irritated patch of skin.
A new, smooth skin bump (nodule) with a raised border and indented center.
A smooth, shiny, or pearly bump that may look like a mole or cyst.
A shiny area of tight-looking skin, especially on the face, that looks like a scar and has poorly defined edges.
An open sore that oozes, bleeds, or crusts and has not healed in 3 weeks.

Don't listen to the BS some of these people gave you, such as the answerer that basically claimed a girl cooked herself internally. That's a old myth, compleley false, and science has proved it. The two answerers, Nikki, and Steph (the girl below Nikki) are correct. If you have moles, watch them. It's very normal after using the booths to become itchy, especially if you are using accelorator. I'm not going to tell you to quit going, but going everyday isn't the best idea, and it sounds like you go in for too long, you shouldn't get burnt. You'd get a deeper, longer lasting tan if you got it slower. Anyway, after only 2 weeks of tanning, I wouldn't worry about it. Just know your body, and inspect your skin monthly. Check for white or discolored spots, raised patches, freckles, and moles. Show your Dr any areas that are different, even if you think it's nothing, and you'll be fine.

The general symptoms of skin cancer are a change in size or color in a mole or wart and an inflammation/cut that won't heal.
Signs for melanoma are a change in a mole/wart, and a multicolored spot with irregular borders.
BCC, can appear as a flesh colored spot with rolled borders, a smooth red spot indented in the centre, or a reddish/brownish/bluish spot on the back or chest.
SCC, can appear as a firm reddish wartlike spot that grows slowly or a flat red spot that bleeds and will not heal.
If you have any of these signs, ask your doctor to perform a test on you. I also recommend you don't use tanning beds every day because you can get killed by UVA/UVB/UVC rays without developing skin cancer.

Did you notice any unusual appearance of moles or have anything mole that is bleeding, etc? These are indications of skin cancer.

If you have a family history of people with skin cancer, you are also at higher risk.

Read about skin cancer symptoms to look out for here
http://www.healthandwellnesscentral.com/...

You should stop using sunbeds right away- people think skin cancer takes years to develop and imagine 50 year olds with leathery skin to be the ones who get cancers diagnosed. Alas it isn't always that way. I had two cousins diagnosed with melanomas in their mid-20s. One survived, one died this summer. Melanomas are so so aggressive and very resistant to chemotherapy- and sunbeds are associated with an eightfold increase in melanomas. Is it really worth dying in your twenties, in agony (melanomas are the most frequent cancer to spread to the brain) because you wanted to look tanned in winter?

Get a dermatologist. Visit them yearly. Monitor your moles ESPECIALLY any new moles that appear. Look out for the so-called ABCDEs:
A- Asymmetry
B-Borders
C- Colour changes
D- Diameter
E- Evolution/Elevation


And seriously, stop using sunbeds. Having nursed my cousin at the end, I will make it my life mission to turn people off sunbeds/excessive sun tanning. Its just not worth it.