Keeping an eye on your moles? How to do an at home skin check
Maybe even more important than a yearly skin check at a dermatologist, an at home skin check is the best way for a patient to find suspicious lesions that need attention.
How and when should an at home skin check be done? I’m here to answer all of your questions to keep you healthy.
What exactly is a “home skin check”? A home skin check is just what it sounds like. It is patients checking their own skin at home. Just like women doing home breast exams, only this one is for everyone.
How to do it? Generally it is best to check your whole skin by standing without your clothes in front of a full length mirror in a brightly lit room. If your eyes are aging, maybe employ a significant other to help. Do this monthly. To help keep track a lot of time I recommend doing it on the day of your birthday. If your birthday is March 12th, then check your skin every 12th of the month. In addition to visually checking, take photos of each region- back, chest, arms, legs, face. Plus, take close up photos of anything that looks suspicious to you.
What are you looking for?
–Anything that really stands out. Remember that old song, “which one of these is not like the others, which one of these just doesn’t belong.”
-For melanoma we look for the traditional ABCDEs – Assymetry, irregular Border, multiple Colors, Diameter bigger that an pencil eraser, and E for evolving.
-Anything that is making a big change since your last check. Doubling or tripling in size, itching, bleeding are all a concern.
-Anything that is persistently broken open or irritated. This is particularly a warning sign for Basal Cell Carcinoma.
-Anything that is tender to touch, feels like a burr or a piece of glass in your skin. This is particularly a warning sign for Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
What to do if you find something that concerns you? Take a digital picture and call a dermatologist. Now, we all know that it can take many months, before you get to see your dermatologist. This is why a series of photos can be so super helpful.
Once you’ve taken a photo, compare that photo when you do your monthly home skin check. If the spot is stable, not making any major changes in shape or color after three months, or heals, it is less worrisome.
Why three months? Generally, we grow, shed and heal our skin every six weeks. With three months, your body has had at least two chances to naturally repair something that is healing or misbehaving. Usually if I find something suspicious on myself, I take a picture, set a date three months in the future associated with a holiday and compare the picture then. If the spot is making a big change or still is not healing, this is when its really time to call your dermatologist.
One of the benefits of seeing a dermatologist is that a good dermatologist can teach you what to watch out for. I try to point out what is normal for patients, so they have a better understanding of what is abnormal.
Hope this helps you start doing regular skin checks at home!
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