You see your skin every day, but how closely do you really look at it? Do you examine it regularly for suspicious-looking body moles or facial moles, or for any unusual or changing patches of skin? If you don't already check your skin for changes, the considered advice of skin cancer experts is start today.
Facial Moles and Body Moles: Why a Skin Examination Is Important
Your doctor should check each year to look for any of the warning signs of skin cancer. But part of a healthy skin care regimen should also include a monthly self-examination. A regular and thorough examination can allow you to spot any pre-cancerous or cancerous growths at an early stage. And the sooner you catch skin cancer, the better your odds of treating it successfully.
If you don’t make a habit of checking your skin because you think skin cancer can't happen to you, think again. The most common type of cancer is skin cancer, and the number of people affected rises each year.
How to Check Your Skin for Facial Moles and Body MolesOnce a month, stand in a brightly lit room in front of a full-length mirror and look closely at your skin. (You can also ask your partner to check for facial and body moles with you so that you can scan each other’s bodies.)
- Start with the front of your body. Examine your face, ears, neck, and throat.
- Inspect your chest (women should lift up their breasts and check the undersides). Look at the armpits, the tops and bottoms of the arms, and the hands and fingers. Don't forget to check fingernails and the skin between your fingers.
- Sit on a chair to examine the tops of your thighs, the front of your legs, and your feet. Don't forget the toenails and the skin between your toes.
- Using a hand mirror, start at the bottom and check the back of your body. Inspect the soles of your feet, the backs of your legs and thighs, genitals, and buttocks.
- Examine your upper and lower back, shoulders, and the back of your neck.
- Last, don't forget your hairline and scalp. A hairbrush or hair dryer can help move hair so that you can see every area of your scalp.
To spot the warning signs of skin cancer, it's important to be able to tell the difference between a normal, healthy mole and a potentially cancerous facial mole or body mole. You're checking your skin for three main types of skin cancer: basal cell, squamous cell, and melanoma.
- Basal cell carcinomas may be flat or slightly raised, have a reddish or pink tint, and often appear shiny. This type of skin cancer is usually found on the face, neck, hands or arms.
- Squamous cell carcinomas look like scaly, crusty bumps in the skin. They may also start out as a smooth patch of red skin.
- Body moles or facial moles that indicate melanoma may be asymmetrical, have jagged edges, contain several colors, and often tend to be larger than a pencil eraser. You may also notice bleeding after minor irritation of these moles. “A healthy mole is uniform in color and symmetric, while an atypical mole is multi-colored, rapidly growing, and it bleeds,” says Mary C. Martini, MD, director of the Pigmented Lesion and Melanoma Clinic at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
If you notice any changes in your skin or in any body or facial moles, tell your doctor and promptly schedule a skin examination.
Once you've gotten into the habit of checking each month, it will be easy to spot any changes and potential warning signs of skin cancer. Before you know it, you'll be an expert on your skin, and will be able to consult your doctor as soon as you find any suspicious facial moles or body moles.