How To Do a Skin Exam

It has absolutely been proven that skin can when caught early is much more likely to be treatable and curable. Skin self-exams every few month and awareness on a daily basis is a critical part of your healthy responsibilities to yourself.

If you have any of these “markers,” you need to be especially aware of changes in your skin: light hair, light skin, freckles, skin that burns easily, family history of skin cancer, an outdoor lifestyle throughout your life, blistering sunburns as a child, blue, green or gray eyes. Even those without “markers” should be “skin conscious,” aware of any growing, bleeding, crusting, or other changing spots on your skin.

What you will need to do a thorough skin self-exam are a full-length and a hand-held mirror .

You will not need a mirror to begin by checking the tops of your feet and between your toes and your hands. Using the full-length mirror, check the parts in your hair, your face, neck (from and back), chest, underarms, elbows, stomach, back, legs (front and back), and your buttocks. With a hand-held mirror, check your soles and genital area. If you have a close friend or relative, skin check can be a two-person job that can be more thorough and easier. It’s a good “gift” to give a loved one.

What you are looking for is ABCD. “A” is for asymmetry, a situation where one side of a mole is unlike the other half. “B” is for border. An irregular, scalloped or poorly defined border.

“C” is for color. Look for variation in color from one area to another; shades of tan and brown, black and sometimes white, red or blue. Finally, “D” is for diameter. Anything larger than 6mm (the diameter of a pencil eraser) is suspect.

If you find any of these changes, or anything about your skin that appears unusual, see your physician. Keep in mind that not every skin change means cancer. Better safe than sorry is prudent and although to most people even the word "cancer" is a scary, you need to keep in mind that treatment cures most types of skin cancer, if caught early.