Five skin cancer 'red flag' signs and how to spot them before it's too late

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Even though the rain has arrived in Scotland once again, temperatures are still set to remain fairly high, meaning many of us will be spending more time outdoors.

And while the sun is great for many reasons, people need to take the right precautions in order to avoid too much exposure, as this can result in skin cancer.

There are several different types of this condition, but they can generally be split into two categories - melanoma and non-melanoma.Non-melanoma skin cancers kill around 720 people per year in the UK, while melanoma is more serious, taking the lives of 2,340 people per year, according to Cancer Research UK.Spotting the signs early is vital, as this can often mean there are better treatment options available.To help people identify what these symptoms are, Dr Nikita Patel from Vitality spoke to the Sun and shared her expertise on what people should be looking out for.

She said: "Skin cancers most often develop on areas that are more regularly exposed to the sun, including the scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms and hands, and on the legs in women."But it’s worth being aware that skin cancers can also form on areas that rarely see the light of day — your palms, beneath your fingernails or toenails, your mouth and your genital area."According to Dr Patel, five common symptoms of skin cancer are: To minimise the risk of these symptoms, it's advised that you wear an SPF even when it's cloudy as the sun's UV rays can still shine through.