Self-skin checks help people maintain healthy skin and catch potential skin cancer early. Make an appointment with us if your self-exams prove worrisome or if you believe you are particularly vulnerable to skin cancer. People at higher risk need to look at their skin more often, and below, we can explain how to do this thoroughly and efficiently.
Why Self-Screening Helps Your Skin
Checking your skin at least once a month can help you detect skin cancer early and boost the odds of successful treatment. If you are at high risk for skin cancer, you may want to examine your skin more often. High-risk factors include a family or personal history of skin cancer, fair skin, and immunosuppression.
Suppose your self-exam turns up a mole that concerns you. If you had not done the exam, the mole may have gone undiscovered for a long time. However, by bringing the mole to the attention of one of our dermatologists in Philadelphia, it can be evaluated, and if needed, treatment can be performed promptly.
How to Perform a Self-Skin Check
Choose a well-lit room and a full-length mirror for your skin exam. A handheld mirror helps screen hard-to-see areas such as your back, legs, and feet. It may be useful to have someone you trust to help, especially for difficult-to-visualize areas such as the scalp. Top tips include:
- Self-screen regularly so you know what is normal for you and what is not.
- Do your screening after a shower or bath.
- Look at your body from head to toe, including your scalp, in between your fingers and toes, and under the nails.
- Examine your scalp using a comb to part the hair and a handheld mirror for up-close inspections.
How To Identify Something Concerning
Skin cancer can be tricky, as it can present in various shapes and forms. If anything worries you, no matter how minor you think it is, get in touch with a dermatologist in Montgomery County, PA. Do not dismiss your concern.
Common signs of skin cancer include new moles or spots, existing moles or spots that are changing shape, color, or size, and/or a mole (whether new or existing) with irregular borders or different areas of coloration.
Sores that are crusty, bleeding and/or not healing or red scaly patches that are not going away are also cause for concern and warrant evaluation by a dermatologist. Again, do not delay evaluation! The sooner a skin cancer can be identified and treated, the less likely it is to have an impact on your overall health.
Contact Dermatologists for Help
Contact Embrace Dermatology + Aesthetics if your self-skin check reveals something concerning or if you are wondering about your risk of skin cancer. We have two locations to better serve you, so request an appointment today.