LAKEWAY, Texas -- When it comes to self-care, one of the most important lessons is listen to what your body tells you.

  • Things to look out for
  • Consult a dermatologist
  • Year-round skin protection

“I saw the spot go from a small mole to the size of maybe two pencil erasers," melanoma Patient Julie Maddry said.

For her, a small spot on her leg got her attention. A visit to the dermatologist likely saved her life.

“We did some rechecking on that and it did turn out that it was melanoma,” she recalls.

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that happens when pigment cells mutate.

“The thing we worry about with melanoma is that it can get deeper and it can spread in the body,” Dr. Lia Gracey of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center said.

For Julie, it was an eye-opening experience.

“My heart sunk, I’ll be perfectly honest. Cancer is not to be taken lightly,” Maddry said.

During a quick procedure, doctors were able to remove the affected area, and Julie will have to check in every few months.

“Having moles on me I’ve always paid attention to them. And then when you see a spot and it grows in size and it wasn’t there six months ago it gives you a red flag. Definitely go get that checked,” Gracey said.

Dermatologists say there are things to keep an eye out for when looking for early warning signs.

“If you have a spot that’s spontaneously bleeding, a longstanding mole that all of a sudden gets itchy out of nowhere or any kind of sore that, no matter what you do, it just won’t heal up—those are definitely things to make someone aware of,” Gracey said.

On top of avoiding peak hours of sunlight, a daily broad spectrum sunscreen can go a long way—no matter the time of year.

“Before I’m out and about I apply sunscreen from head to toe. Behind the ears, neck, everywhere,” Maddry said.

It’s about self-care, year-round.