SKIN LESIONS

Lesions are patches on the skin that may look and feel different to the surrounding healthy skin.

They might be discoloured, demonstrate a change in texture, or change over time, or in some cases, they might even be virtually undetectable.

While some lesions might be relatively harmless and just look unsightly, they can often be precancerous, or even cancerous. This is why having skin lesions assessed as quickly as possible is critical, so they can be properly treated.

Pre Cancerous Lesions

Precancerous lesions are patches of skin that may look and feel different to the surrounding healthy skin. They can be discoloured, demonstrate a change in texture, or change over time.  

While some lesions might be benign and just look unsightly, they can often be precancerous - meaning they are known to have a higher risk of eventually becoming skin cancer as they develop. This is why having skin lesions assessed as quickly as possible is critical, so they can be properly treated.

Cancerous Lesions

Cancerous lesions are patches of skin affected by skin cancer. They may look and feel different to the surrounding healthy skin, or there might be few visible differences. They can be discoloured, have asymmetrical borders, demonstrate a change in texture, or develop other changes over time.

There are 3 different types of cancerous lesions; the more common types, basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas; and the rarer malignant melanomas. While there are options for their treatment, it’s best to have cancerous lesions treated as soon as possible to reduce the chances of them developing further, and affecting adjacent healthy tissues.