As we are now hitting the hottest part of the summer, it's a good time to talk about eye protection from the sun. You might already be aware that the ultraviolet rays from the sun can cause enough damage to your skin to cause cancer, but did you know that skin cancers can develop on and around your eyes too?
About 15%-20% of skin lesions around the eyes and on the lids are actually some type of skin cancer, and most of these are caused in part by prolonged sun exposure. These lesions can take many shapes and sizes and are often difficult to distinguish from benign lesions unless a biopsy is performed.
The good news about eyelid skin cancers is that the vast majority of them are curable by excision alone, especially when they are identified early. The tissues around the eye are very delicate, though, and the excision and repair of the eyelid can be tricky. Oculoplastic surgeons are uniquely qualified and trained to both remove the lesions and repair the eyelid, even in very complicated cases, because eyelid surgery is the major focus of their training.
Because eyelid skin cancers can often be small and very difficult to identify without special equipment, you should have any new eyelid bump that does not go away looked at by a trained ophthalmologist or oculoplastic surgeon.
In the mean time, always wear sunscreen and sunglasses with ultraviolet light protection to minimize the damage to your skin. Have a great summer!
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