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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Dermatol Nurs. 2009 Jul–Aug;21(4):170–178.

Table 7.

Recommendations for Patients and Clinicians for the Prevention of Skin Cancer in Skin of Color

Recommendations for Patients
Perform routine skin examinations and report any new and/or changes of existing skin lesions to health care providers.
Sunscreen (sun protection factor 30 or greater) should be applied to skin, regardless of complexion, during periods of prolonged exposure, especially during peak hours of sunlight (10 am–2 pm).
Wear sunglasses that have UV-absorbing lenses.
Avoid tanning booths.
Recommendations for Clinicians
Pigmented lesions in people of color, particularly those of mucosal, palmar, plantar, and subungual surfaces, should be monitored closely and biopsied if any enlargement or ulceration is noted.
Hyperkeratotic or poorly healing lesions in people of color with chronic discoid lupus erythematosus should be biopsied.
Nonhealing ulcers on skin of color, regardless of original etiology, of significant duration should be biopsied.
Atypical appearing keloids and those appearing in atypical nontraumatized locations on skin of color or in nontension areas should be evaluated.
CTCL should be included in the differential diagnosis of hypopigmentation disorders of people of color.