More and more young people affected by melonoma

Premier Dermatology is dedicated to caring for the body's largest organ with services that range from cosmetic to life saving.

Most people over 30 or 40 years of age should have a skin exam annually, Dr. Kattie Allen said. If there's no personal or family history of skin cancer, that exam can be done by a general practitioner, she said. But any time a sore is not healing or anytime a blemish is growing, it should be checked by a dermatologist.

Melanoma, Allen warned, can happen at any age. More and more young people are affected.

The good news is that melanoma treatments have been improving, she said, and the disease has become very treatable, if it's caught early.

The amount of sun damage to skin may be increasing, she said. One in five Americans are affected by some form of skin cancer. There could be several reasons for the increase and one of them is the use of tanning beds. Any tan, she pointed out, is skin damage.

Some of the patients she's seeing now spent their teen years using iodine and baby oil to enhance their tan, she said. But others spent a career working outside in the sun.

But Allen and the other doctors at Premier treat many other conditions, too. They can treat anything from acne to hair loss, she said. Some autoimmune diseases like psoriasis need a dermatologist as well.

Many older patients come to the practice for help with eczema because skin thins as it ages, she said.

Then there's the cosmetic side of the practice where winkles can be smoothed, spider veins can be collapsed and double chins can be reduced. Specialists use lasers, injections and prescriptions. Spa services range from facials and massage to spray on tans.

Premier is a busy place, Allen said, but new patients are being accepted, and the Bella Vista office is expanding and will soon be open five days a week.

In Bella Vista, Premier is located in Cunningham Corner and can be reached at 479-855-1247. The larger office in Bentonville is at 901 S.E. Plaza Ave., in the Fountain Plaza and the phone number is 479-273-3376.