Self Exam

Conducting a Skin Self-Exam

Over 1.3 million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer every year. Some 51,000 of those cases are melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. When caught early, all skin cancers, even melanoma, are curable. Conducting a regular skin exam once a month is an easy way to detect skin abnormalities before they become too serious. Here is how to do it:

1. Check yourself after a shower in a well-lighted room using a full-length mirror and a hand-held mirror, or get somebody like your spouse to help you. Start by checking the moles and birthmarks that you've had since birth.
2. Look for any changes, especially a new mole or skin discoloration, a sore that does not heal, or any change in the size, shape, texture, or color of an existing mole.
3. Look at the front and back of your body in the mirror. Then raise your arms and look at your left and right sides.
4. Bend your elbows and look carefully at your fingernails, palms, forearms, and upper arms.
5. Examine the back, front, and sides of your legs.
6. Look between the buttocks and around the genital area.
7. Sit and closely examine your feet, including the toenails, soles, and the space between the toes.
8. Look at your face, neck, ears, and scalp. Use a comb or hair dryer to move your hair so that you can see better. Better yet, get someone else to check your scalp for you.

Learning the ABCD's of skin care

The ABCD rule can help you distinguish an ordinary mole from an abnormal one.

• Asymmetry: One half of the mole does not match the other half.
• Border irregularity: The edges of the mole are ragged or notched.
• Color: The color over the mole is not the same. There may be differing shades of tan, brown, or black, and sometimes patches of red, blue, or white.
• Diameter: The mole is wider than 6 millimeters (about ¼ inch) although in recent years doctors are finding more melanomas between 3 and 6 millimeters.

What is a mole?

Most people have moles, and nearly all moles are harmless. However, it is important to recognize changes in a mole that may show evidence of skin cancer. A normal mole is generally an evenly-colored brown, tan, or black spot on the skin. It can be flat or raised, round or oval. They are usually less than 6 millimeters (¼ inch) in diameter (about the width of a pencil eraser).

If you've found something...

If you find anything suspicious, visit a dermatologist right away. The American Cancer Society recommends a cancer-related checkup, including a skin examination, every 3 years for people between 20 and 40 years of age, and every year for anyone age 40 and older.