Sun Smarts
Q & A with Dr. Melanie Kingsley
With May marking Skin Cancer Awareness Month, we spoke with Carmel dermatologist Dr. Melanie Kingsley on what every Central Indiana resident should know about skin cancer prevention, daily protection and keeping skin healthy at every age.
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Q: May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, but for many, a yearly skin check still feels optional. What do you wish more people understood about why that annual visit matters?
A: Annual skin exams help detect pre-cancers and skin cancers at the earliest stage. Not everyone needs to come every year, but I recommend a baseline exam for everyone. If you have atypical moles or a history of skin cancer, more frequent visits make sense, as those patients are likely to develop additional lesions over time. And regardless of your history, I encourage everyone to do a skin self-exam once a month so you know your moles and can flag anything new or changing to your dermatologist. Q: What are the most common warning signs people miss or dismiss? Walk us through what we should actually be looking for. A: Pay attention to a mole you've had for years that becomes darker, larger, asymmetric or starts to crust or itch. A bump that looks like a pimple but bleeds or won't resolve is also worth having checked, as is any new lesion or unexplained bleeding on the skin. When something changes, that's your cue to come in. Q: Central Indiana gets a real mix of seasons. Are there habits or misconceptions specific to Midwest residents that you see regularly in your practice? A: Many people here believe sunscreen is only necessary in summer. But UV exposure happens every day—cloudy or cold, driving in your car, sitting by a window or walking the dog. Those exposures add up over years into sun spots, wrinkles and potentially skin cancer. I tell all my patients to find a daily sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) that actually feels good on their skin so they'll use it consistently. A few I recommend: EltaMD UV Clear for oily or acne-prone skin, Alastin HydraTint for a dewy tinted finish, SkinBetter compact for an easy on-the-go application and CeraVe AM lotion as a simple, accessible option. |
Q: When it comes to daily skincare, what products or ingredients should everyone have in their routine, and what should parents know about choosing sun protection for their kids?
A: Everyone's skin is different, so there's no single ingredient that works for all. What I do recommend is a regimen that feels good for your skin—one that doesn't dry you out, cause irritation or trigger breakouts. A few of my favorite ingredients are Vitamin C, niacinamide, glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, retinol or retinoid and, of course, a daily SPF. For children specifically, I prefer physical blockers, zinc and titanium, and there are excellent kids' sunscreens on the market that use only those with no chemical filters. Some people find them thick or slightly white on the skin, so I also recommend EltaMD products, which combine zinc with a few of the safer chemical blockers for a more wearable finish. Q: What options exist for those who didn’t prioritize sun protection earlier, and where do you start that conversation? A: There are so many available treatment options. Chemical peels, resurfacing lasers, IPL and BBL treatments, MoveoGlo laser therapy, microneedling and ExcelV for facial vessels and rosacea are all options we discuss depending on what a patient is dealing with. The best place to start is a conversation with your dermatologist. We'll look at what's happening with your skin and build a plan from there. |
Start your monthly self-exams and daily SPF today, and schedule your baseline skin exam with MK Dermatology, located at 12174 North Meridian Street, Suite 210, in Carmel. Learn more at mkderm.com and follow @melaniekingsleymd and @mk_dermatology on Instagram.