Your skin is one of the most wonderfully marvelous parts of your body. Not only is it your biggest organ, housing over 300 million cells, but it is also in a constant state of renewal; at the end of each day, you have replaced 50 million cells ﹘that’s nearly 40,000 cells every minute! It’s like a self-sustaining round of cosmetic surgery, performed by your body. Where do all these dead cells go when they fall off your skin? They make up the bulk of the dust you sweep up in your house. 

As any plastic surgeon will tell you, your skin is predominantly made up of three layers: the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis. Your epidermis is the layer that you see when you look in the mirror; it represents the final barrier through which your hair, sweat, and pheromones break forth to the outside. Your dermis, meanwhile, is the greater portion of your skin, underneath. This is where your blood vessels, tissue, and the other of the innermost workings of your skin are housed. Finally, the hypodermis is where the bulk of the fat on your body is stored and is designed to connect your skin to your muscles. Other fun facts about your skin include:

  • The average adult has 21 square feet worth of skin
  • Skin accounts for roughly 10% of a person’s body weight
  • The skin on your lips is over 200 times more sensitive than the skin on your fingertips
  • In terms of cosmetic surgery, over two million procedures were performed in 2020 to reshape or otherwise augment patients’ skin and the muscles underneath.

As incredible as your skin is, however, it is still susceptible to sickness and disease. Typically, when a person has cancer it means that their body’s cells grow irregularly, sometimes causing tumors to form. All these millions of renewing skin cells, once stricken with cancer, pose a very real threat to your overall health.

The Most Common Types of Skin Cancer

Skin cancer can occur for any number of reasons; blemishes like moles go unchecked by a dermatologist, skin cancer runs in the family, or the skin is naturally fair. The leading factor in nearly every case, however, is prolonged exposure to the sun’s radiation. Of all the types of skin cancer, there are a few strains that tend to be most commonly diagnosed (and the subject of future cosmetic surgery). They include: 

  • Basal Cell Carcinoma: Basal cells are those that are responsible for renewing the 50 million new daily cells. This type of cancer prolongs the life of the basal cell unnaturally, multiplying it until it manifests as a lesion on the outer epidermis.
  • Melanoma: A cancer of the melanocyte cells that produce the skin’s pigmentation, called melanin. Melanoma manifests most commonly as moles.
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Much like the previous two examples, this type of carcinoma is a mutation of DNA found within particular skin cells; in this case, the squamous cell. It manifests as red sores that may become crusty to the touch. 

Removing Skin Cancer

A plastic surgeon is capable of removing skin cancer if it is caught early enough. If you or a family member has ever had a history of skin cancer, it is recommended to get checked often. A quick consultation with a medical professional can prove to be life-saving. If there is any question or concern regarding a blemish on your skin, be sure to talk with your doctor.