'Real Housewives of Dallas' Star Tiffany Hendra, 49, Shares Scars From Skin Cancer Surgery, Says She’s Now Part of “Melanoma Warrior Tribe”

Hendra shared her news with the world on Instagram and encouraged other people to listen to their bodies, note any changes, and do their skin checks. It’s not easy to share your personal story with the world, but when it’s done in service of others and helping people navigate their own health it’s incredibly powerful, and we applaud Hendra’s bravery!

Related: Masseuse Found Melanoma on Real Housewife Tamra Judge's Butt; Perfect Reminder to All of Us That Checking Every Part of Your Body Is Key

She wrote, “CATCH IT EARLY!! It’s official — I’m in the Melanoma Warrior Tribe. It’s been a whirlwind week and must share this journey to encourage everyone to be in tune with your body and do regular at-home body scans as well as yearly scans with your doc.” Hendra said she will next have her lymph nodes checked as well, and she thanked her support circle, including her “sexy male nurse,” her husband, Aaron Hendra, for the care and support.

 

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What is Melanoma?

Skin cancer is the most common among all cancers, and melanoma accounts for approximately 1% of skin cancer diagnoses. It is, however, a more serious type of skin cancer, and causes the majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). There will be roughly 106,000 new cases of melanoma diagnosed in the U.S. this year. This disease is treated with surgery, radiation, medications, and chemotherapy.

Related: Singer Bob Marley Died of Melanoma Almost 40 Years Ago at 36

Dr. Anna Pavlick, of the NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, shared in an earlier interview some of the risk factors for melanoma. She said, "Most patients who go routinely to their dermatologist are patients who are at risk. Who are those patients at risk? Patients at risk are patients who are fair-skinned, blond hair, blue eyes, patients who may have a family history of melanoma or patients who have what we call dysplastic nevus syndrome who are just covered in thousands and thousands of moles. Patients who have already been diagnosed with one melanoma are at an increased risk of getting a second melanoma."

Am I at High Risk for Melanoma?

Protecting Your Skin

Taking proactive steps to protect your skin is key when it comes to mitigating skin cancer risk. Dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman said in an earlier interview that, yes, even during winter, you should be protecting your skin. “It’s a common misconception that people think they only need sun protection when they’re in the bright, warm sunshine. But the reality is, we can get sun damage at any time throughout the year, even in the cold wintry months.”

Related: Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Skin From Skin Cancer

Dr. Engelman encouraged people to think about how exposure can add up over time even if it’s just a short amount of sun exposure. “And if we’re unprotected for even 15 minutes a day,” she said, “if we think about the cumulative effects that has on our skin over a lifetime, it’s very real. So the more we can protect and have it be a daily habit– we don’t just brush our teeth the week we’re going to the dentist. We protect our teeth all the time, every day, twice a day. And so that’s the same concept as sunscreen. The more we do it, the more we’re protected, the more our risk is limited.”

Melanoma Awareness: Yes, You Still Need to Protect Your Skin In The Winter

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