Identify Your Spots – Inspection

What to Look For and How

Spotting changes in current moles and/or developing lesions early on can help prevent the development and spread of skin cancer. It is important to know what to look for and how to look for it when dealing with early skin cancer detection.

Every month, inspect your entire body for any skin changes and routinely visit your dermatologist for a complete skin examination. Early detection of melanoma can be lifesaving because this cancer may be curable in its early stages. Any irregularity in an existing or newly developed pigmented skin lesion could be a sign of melanoma and should be examined immediately by your dermatologist. These irregularities may include asymmetry, an uneven border, color variations, diameter of more than 6mm or evolving changes of the lesion – all of these irregularities are covered in the ABCDEs of melanoma. If you notice any of the following irregularities in current skin lesions, see a dermatologist immediately.