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Check your skin all over, from the scalp to the soles of your feet, every 6-12 months.
If melanoma is in your family, check every 2-3 months. If you have had melanoma, check every 2-4 weeks.
- Become familiar with the feel and look of your skin. Over time, you will be able to recognize changes in your skin.
- Get to know the feel, size, shape and colour of your moles, birthmarks and scars.
The best time to examine your skin is after a bath or shower. You will need:
- a well-lit room
- a full-length mirror
- a hand-held mirror
- a stool or chair
- a friend or relative (optional!)
- Use the tips of your fingers, and with a circling movement and a little pressure, feel your way all round your body. This is particularly important if you have had melanoma.
- Start with the face, the neck, ears and scalp. You will find looking at your scalp easier if you use a comb or hairdryer to part your hair.
- Look at the front and back of your body in the mirror. Raise your arms and look at your left and right sides. Women should check under their breasts.
- Bend your elbows and look at your hands and forearms. Turn your arm, to see the underside of your arms. Inspect your upper arms and shoulders. Now look carefully at your fingernails and the palms of your hands.
- Look at the back, front and sides of your legs, between the toes, the toenails and the soles of your feet.
- Sit on a chair and put each leg in turn up on a stool. Use your hand mirror to look at your genitals whilst you feel round the area.
- Lastly, stand up and use both mirrors to check your buttocks.
- Look for
- changes in shape, size and colour to existing moles
- new moles
- itching, redness, crusting, oozing or bleeding in any mole or skin blemish that does not go after two weeks
- lumps beneath the skin, the size of a pea or larger, and which may not be painful.
If you would like to see, we have some pictures of different types of skin cancer; however these pictures should not be used to self-diagnose:
If you find changes that worry you, please arrange to see your GP.
