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Checking Your Skin and Your Family's Skin
Each Australian should be checking his or her skin surface with the help of a mirror and/or family member, at home, on a regular basis. To do it every new season is an easy way of remembering.
- Examine your face, especially the nose, lips, mouth and ears - front and back. Use one or two mirrors to get a clear view.
- Thoroughly inspect your scalp, using a blow-dryer and mirror to expose each section. Get a friend or family member to help.
- Check your hands, looking at the palms and back of the hands, between fingers and under the fingernails. Then check the wrists and front and back of the forearms.
- Standing in front of a full-length mirror, begin at the elbows and scan all sides of your upper arms and underarms.
- Next, focus on the neck, chest and torso. Women should lift their breasts to view the underside.
- With your back to a full-length mirror, us a hand mirror to inspect the back of your neck, shoulders, upper back, and any part of your upper arms that you could not see in Step 4.
- Still using two mirrors, scan your lower back, buttocks, and the backs of both legs.
- Sit down; prop each leg in turn on a stool and use the hand mirror to check your genitals. Check front and sides of both legs, thigh to shin; ankles, tops of feet, between toes and under toenails. Finally examine the soles of your feet.
What are you Looking for?
Any mole or freckle which changes over a period of months, particularly if it grows in size, changes shape, becomes mottled in colour and irregular in outline. Persistent itch in a mole may be a significant indicator. Don’t wait until a changing flat mole becomes lumpy or bleeds.
The more common skin cancers will show up as new lumps or red areas in the skin. They will often bleed easily when rubbed with a towel, and they may ulcerate (turn into a sore that doesn’t heal).
Photographs of any suspicious areas can be useful to record any changes.
Skin cancers do not usually cause pain.
Read more about moles and melanomas
An Ounce of Prevention
Sun avoidance and sun protection with hats, protective clothing, sunglasses and sunscreen is important for everyone. This is especially true for children. It is never too late to start looking after your skin, but the sooner you start the better.
Diagnosis
Ask your general practitioner to check your spots at least once a year, and especially if you have become aware of any suspicious-looking spots.
If a skin cancer is suspected, it will need treatment by your local doctor, specialist dermatologist or surgeon. If the nature of your spot is not very clear, you should be referred to a dermatologist for a specialist opinion.
There will often be more than one way to treat a particular type of skin cancer, but curing it is most important. Other considerations in the choice of treatment are the normal function of the affected skin and the cosmetic result that can be expected from the treatment.
Related Information
Related topics on how you can reduce your risk and your families risk of developing skin cancer and melanoma:
* The essentials of Sun Protection
* Special factors relating to Baby & Toddler Sun Protection
* Answers to some frequently asked questions about sunscreens
NEXT: Moles and Melanoma
Acknowledgement
This information is based on a publication of the Australasian College of Dermatologists.
Last Modified 1 October, 2004 Dr John R Sullivan / © 2004 Australasian College of Dermatologists |
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