Skin cancer is an abnormal growth of skin cells, most often caused by ultraviolet light from the sun or indoor tanning. The three common types are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Coastal Dermatology + Aesthetics diagnoses and treats skin cancer at its San Luis Obispo office.
The cancer you can actually see
Skin cancer is an abnormal growth of skin cells, and it has one property that sets it apart from almost every other cancer: it happens on the outside, where you and a dermatologist can look at it. That is an enormous advantage, and it is the reason so much of the good news in this area comes down to timing.
It develops mostly where ultraviolet light has done its work over years, which on the Central Coast means the face, ears, scalp, neck, chest, forearms and the backs of the hands. It also occurs on skin that has seen very little sun, including the palms, the soles and under the nails, which is why a full exam looks everywhere rather than only at the obvious places.
The three common types behave differently from one another. Two of them grow slowly and stay put. One can move. Knowing which is which is what a biopsy settles, and treatment follows from there.
What people usually notice first
- A spot that bleeds easily, scabs, and then does it again
- A sore that does not heal after several weeks
- A rough or scaly patch that will not clear up
- A pearly or shiny bump, often on the face, ears or neck [1]
- A mole that is changing in size, shape or color, or a new dark spot unlike the others [1]
- Rough, scaly precancerous patches, which are treatable well before they become anything
Skin cancer develops on the outside of the body, which means it can be found early by looking. That single fact is what makes a ten minute exam so worth having. [2]
What causes it
Ultraviolet light, over years
Most skin cancer traces back to ultraviolet light, from the sun and from indoor tanning. It is cumulative, which is why it tends to appear on the areas that have been exposed the longest, and why sun damage and skin cancer show up in the same places on the same people.
Where you live, and what you did at twenty
A lifetime outdoors on the Central Coast counts, and so do the summers you have long since stopped thinking about. Overcast days still deliver ultraviolet light, which is why coastal fog is a poor form of sun protection and why people here are often surprised by how much exposure they have accumulated.
Everything else
Skin tone, family history, the number of moles you have, previous skin cancers, a suppressed immune system and certain medications all shift the picture. Skin cancer occurs in every skin tone, and in deeper skin tones it more often appears in places that see little sun, including the palms, the soles and under the nails, which is exactly why a full examination is a full one.
How long a full skin exam takes. No preparation, no downtime, and nothing done to your skin unless something needs a closer look.
The three common types, and how they differ
These are not one condition. They look different, they behave differently, and they are treated differently, so knowing which one is being talked about changes what the conversation means.
| Basal cell carcinoma | Squamous cell carcinoma | Melanoma | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How common | The most common type of skin cancer [1] | The most common type in people with darker skin tones [1] | The most serious of the three [1] |
| Where it appears | Head, neck, chest or upper back [1] | Head, neck, arms or shins [1] | Anywhere, including skin that gets little or no sun [1] |
| What it looks like | A round, pearly or shiny bump, or a raised and scaly patch [1] | A rough, scaly patch, a firm dome-shaped growth, or a sore that will not heal [1] | A change within an existing mole, or a new dark spot unlike your others [1] |
| How it behaves | Grows slowly and rarely spreads beyond the skin. Can scab and bleed easily [1] | May grow slowly or rapidly, and can spread or return after treatment [1] | Can grow rapidly and spread beyond the skin [1] |
| Found early | Early treatment prevents it growing deeper into the skin [1] | Highly treatable when caught early [1] | The outcome can be good when diagnosed early and properly treated [1] |
The pattern across all three is the same, and it is the reason this page exists: early changes everything. A biopsy is what tells you which one you are dealing with, and a skin check and a biopsy usually happen at the same appointment.
Where it shows up
| Area | Why it matters here |
|---|---|
| Face, ears and nose | The most exposed skin on the body, and where basal cell carcinoma most often appears. [1] |
| Scalp | Frequently affected and almost impossible to check yourself, especially where hair has thinned. |
| Neck, chest and shoulders | Decades of Central Coast sun concentrate here, often from a long time ago. |
| Arms, forearms and hands | Including the backs of the hands, which take steady sun through a car window. |
| Legs | The most common site of melanoma in women, and easily overlooked. |
| Palms, soles and under the nails | Where skin cancer more often appears in deeper skin tones, and where nobody thinks to look. |
Services are prompt, friendly, professional and most of all comfortable…it was an extraordinary experience.
The Coastal difference
Everything from the first look to the follow-up, in one place
A spot gets examined, and if it needs an answer the biopsy happens here, usually at the same visit. If a result needs treating, the surgery is planned here. Where Mohs surgery is the better operation, we arrange it and pick your care back up afterward. And the skin checks that follow for years are with the same practice that has your history.
That continuity is the practical difference. Skin cancer is rarely a single event: having had one is the strongest reason there is to keep being checked, and every check is more useful when the person doing it has seen your skin before.
What skin cancer is when it is found early and properly treated. [2] Early is the word doing the work in that sentence.
When to see a dermatologist
Book an appointment if you notice:
- A spot that bleeds, scabs, and then bleeds again
- A sore that has not healed after a few weeks
- A rough or scaly patch that will not clear
- A new spot that looks different from the rest of your spots [2]
- A mole changing in size, shape or color, or one that itches or bleeds [2]
- Anything on your skin that has changed and you cannot explain
Worth booking a routine check if:
- You have never had a full skin exam and have spent years in Central Coast sun
- You have had a skin cancer before, or someone in your family has
- You have a lot of moles, or fair skin that burns easily
- You used tanning beds at any point
If you are unsure whether something is worth an appointment, book it. That is exactly what the ten minutes is for, and the answer is usually reassuring.
What actually reduces your risk
This is the part you control, and on the Central Coast it matters more than most places. None of it is complicated.
Worth doing
- Broad-spectrum sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher, water resistant, every day before you go outside [3]
- Reapply every two hours outdoors, and after swimming or sweating [3]
- Shade and clothing, which do more than sunscreen alone
- Skip tanning beds entirely, since indoor tanning is one of the causes rather than a safer alternative
- Keep an eye on your own skin between appointments, and photograph anything you want to compare
Worth knowing
- Overcast days still deliver ultraviolet light, which coastal fog does not change
- A car window blocks some ultraviolet light and not all of it
- Sun protection matters at every skin tone, including tones that rarely burn
- Rough, scaly precancerous patches can be treated well before they become anything, and that is the easiest win available
Prevention does not replace the exam and the exam does not replace prevention. Doing both is what puts you well ahead.
Treatments we offer
Diagnosis, treatment and follow-up, all in one practice. Pick a treatment to see how it works.
What treatment costs
Skin cancer diagnosis and treatment are medical care rather than a cosmetic service, and are handled differently from the aesthetic treatments on this site. Our office will go through what applies to you when you book.
Where a biopsy is taken, laboratory fees are billed separately by the laboratory that examines the sample, and we will tell you when a sample is being sent.
How it is found
A full skin exam, which takes about 10 minutes and needs no preparation
How it is confirmed
A small sample sent to a laboratory, usually at the same visit
The three common types
Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma [1]
Found early
Highly treatable, which is the whole reason the exam is worth booking [2]
Skin cancer frequently asked questions
Broad spectrum, SPF 30 or higher, water resistant, every day before you go outside, reapplied every two hours outdoors. [3]
Offered at
Ready to get checked? Request an appointment
Fill out the form below, book online in Santa Maria (opens online scheduler), or give us a call. Cosmetic and aesthetic appointments need no referral. For medical dermatology in San Luis Obispo, we are accepting new patients by referral from your primary care physician; send the referral across and then use the same form. In Santa Maria, medical appointments are available without a referral for PPO patients, and for HMO patients we are in-network with Santa Maria Physician's Choice.
Sources and medical review
1. American Academy of Dermatology Association. “Types of skin cancer.” States that basal cell carcinoma is the “most common type of skin cancer,” often develops “on the head, neck, chest, or upper back,” “often looks like a round, pearly or shiny bump or a raised and scaly patch of skin,” “grows slowly and rarely spreads beyond the skin,” “can scab and bleed easily,” and that “early treatment is recommended to prevent basal cell carcinoma from growing deeper into the skin.” States that squamous cell carcinoma is the “most common type of skin cancer in people with darker skin tones,” usually develops “on the head, neck, arms, or shins,” “often looks like a rough and scaly patch, firm and dome-shaped growth, or a non-healing sore,” “may grow slowly or rapidly,” “can spread or return after treatment,” and “is highly treatable when caught early.” Describes melanoma as “the most serious skin cancer,” which “can appear suddenly, developing on skin that gets lots or little, if any, sun,” “can appear within a mole that you already have or show up as a new dark spot that looks different from the rest of your moles,” “can grow rapidly and spread beyond the skin,” and whose “outcome can be good when diagnosed early and properly treated.” https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer/types/common · Medical Organization
2. American Academy of Dermatology Association. “How to check your skin for skin cancer.” States that “found early and properly treated, skin cancer is highly treatable,” that self-exams “can be lifesaving,” that anyone who finds “a spot on your skin that’s growing, bleeding, or changing” should see a board-certified dermatologist, and that the frequency of full-body skin exams is determined by individual risk factors. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer/find/know-how · Medical Organization
3. American Academy of Dermatology Association. “How to select a sunscreen.” Broad spectrum, SPF 30 or higher, water resistant, reapplied every two hours outdoors and after swimming or sweating. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/shade-clothing-sunscreen/how-to-select-sunscreen · Medical Organization
Content on this page is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Skin cancer is diagnosed by examination and biopsy, and the appearance of a growth alone does not establish what it is. A skin examination is not a guarantee that a skin cancer will be found, and any spot that changes between appointments should be reported rather than waited on. Treatment depends on the type, size, location and pathology of the individual cancer. Individual results may vary.