With his military service complete, Dr. Chris Collins was on a mission to bring convenient, state-of-the-art dermatology services to Leander and the surrounding area. In August 2013, he opened Collins Advanced Dermatology Institute, which offers medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology services with an emphasis on the treatment and prevention of skin cancers. Collins received a medical services scholarship from the Army. After his residency, he was deployed to Iraq in 2009 for about a year. "It was the most rewarding experience of my life, but it was the most stressful too," he said. "On each mission we came under fire, and on a daily basis in our camp we were mortared or rocketed. You never get used to it, but you learn to accept it." Collins treated U.S. soldiers, coalition troops and Iraqi civilians who otherwise had no access to medical care for a range of combat injuries, trauma cases, illnesses and skin conditions. He said he often used telemedicine or flew in Blackhawk helicopters to reach remote areas. "I was able to practice my whole scope of medicine, just without a lot of fancy toys," Collins said. In contrast, his new office in Leander features some of the latest technology available. Collins is trained in Mohs surgery, which is a tissue-sparing procedure with a 99 percent cure rate for new cases of the most common types of skin cancer, said Matt Nachreiner, the practice manager for Collins ADI. Using specialized in-house lab equipment, Collins can review a biopsied segment of skin during rather than after the surgery to determine whether the next layer of tissue is cancerous and needs to be removed, he said. Another skin cancer treatment available at Collins ADI is superficial radiation therapy, which provides a low dose of radiation that is directed at the affected area and does not leave a scar, Collins said. "Just a handful [of dermatologists] in the whole state offer [SRT]," he said. Each year, there are more new cases of skin cancer than breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers combined, according to the American Cancer Society. However, skin cancer is often easily diagnosed and treated if patients are screened early, Collins said. Patients are advised to come in for annual skin checks, which can be done during routine appointments or cosmetic treatments, said Tricia Winters, the certified physician assistant on staff. When it comes to outdoor sun protection, staffers said most people forget to reapply their sunscreen every two or three hours or don't use enough. "So if you spend the day at the beach, you should go through a whole [4-ounce] bottle of sunscreen. But none of us ever do," Winters said. The ingredients in sunscreen are also important, said Anne Marie Slater, the licensed aesthetician on staff who provides cosmetic treatments. She recommends sunscreens containing zinc and titanium, which act as barriers to the sun's rays.

ABCs of detecting melanoma: how to spot a common type of skin cancer

Asymmetry—If you draw a line through an asymmetrical mole, the two halves will not match. Border—The outline of an early melanoma tends to be uneven. The edges may be scalloped or notched. Color—Having a variety of colors is another potential symptom. A number of different shades of brown, tan or black could appear. A melanoma may also become red, blue or some other color. Diameter—Melanomas usually are larger in diameter than the size of an eraser on a pencil (1/4 inch or 6 millimeters), but they may sometimes be smaller when first detected. Evolving—Any change in size, shape, color, elevation or another trait, or any new symptom such as bleeding, itching or crusting are potential signs of melanoma. Source: Skin Cancer Foundation Collins Advanced Dermatology Institute, 311 S. US 183, Leander, 512-379-6090, www.collinsadi.com, Twitter: @CollinsDerm, Hours: Mon.–Thu. 8 a.m.–noon, 1–5 p.m.; Fri. 8 a.m.–noon