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Skin cancers that involve the face are complicated for many reasons. For most patients, the most important reason is that this is the area of your body that is most important to your appearance.

The majority of facial skin cancers come from chronic exposure to the sun. The three most common types are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.

Each of these types requires a different approach to achieve a cure.

Surgery:
Depending on the size, type of skin cancer, and precise location on the face, the surgical management is specifically tailored to YOUR situation. Obviously, the primary goal is to completely remove the cancer.

Because the appearance of your face is also extremely important, and successful removal of some facial skin cancers requires removal of significant amounts of facial skin and tissue, it is important to consider your appearance after the cancer is removed. Dr. Clark has unique expertise in the reconstruction of the face after complete removal of the cancer. He lectures locally, regionally, and nationally; he has written textbook chapters and scientific articles on techniques in facial reconstruction.

Frequently, because of the limited amount of “extra” tissue in the facial structures for reconstruction, a certain method of removal of the cancer is used called Mohs Micrographic Surgery. It is basically analogous to removing the roots of a tree stump without disturbing the rest of the lawn.

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