Skin cancers that are picked up early are easier to treat and this can even be life saving. A check can be done in two ways - by self checking and also by a dermatologist or family general practitioner.

A self skin check involves you examining your own skin for moles and other lesions. You can enlist the help of your partner for this, especially for areas that are hard to see such as the back. Another way to make this easier is to have photographs taken of your skin for comparison. This service is offered at Northern Sydney Dermatology. A specialised medical photographer takes skin photographs of your entire body. You keep these photographs with you.  This way if you are not sure if a 'spot' is new or not, you can double check with your own skin photographs. During your self skin check you need to check your entire body, not just areas exposed to the sun. Don't forget the commonly missed areas such as behind your ears and on your palms and soles.

You should also have a regular skin check with your dermatologist. In this examination the dermatologist will examine your entire skin. They have good lighting and also use equipment such as a dermatoscope, maggi lamps and a camera. If there is any lesion of concern, based on your history and examination, then the dermatologist may discuss with you a skin biopsy.

When skin cancers are detected early then most can be treated successfully.

What Do I Look For?

Using the "ABCDE" rule is often an easy way to remember what to look for

• A = asymmetry. This is where one half of the lesion looks different to the other half
• B= border. Look for an ill-defined border or an irregular one
• C= colour. Any spot that may have changed colour or has more than a few colours
• D= diameter. Look for a mole that has increased in diameter or is greater than 6mm.
• E= evolving. Any spot that is getting bigger over time

How to Perform a Skin Check

• Remove your clothes and start at your head working downwards in a uniform fashion.
• Look at your scalp. You may need to part your hair to see your scalp and this can be done with your fingers or with a hairdryer
• Look at your face. Don't forget behind the ears and your lip area
• Look at your arms and hands. Remember under your arms, between your fingers and under your nails
• Look at your chest. For women, look under the breasts
• Look at your back. Enlist the help of a family member or friend or use 2 mirrors
• Look at your legs. As with your hands - don't forget between your toes and under your toe nails