Self-Exam

Everyone, even if dark-skinned, should examine his or her own skin every month. Do a complete skin exam every month in front of a mirror, in privacy, and fully undressed (such as before or after a bath) in bright, natural sunlight or a good light.

Choose another disease or condition... Allergic Rhinitis Allergies, Food Allergy & Asthma Center Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety Aortic Aneurysms Arrhythmia Arthritis, Osteo- (OA) Arthritis, Rheumatoid (RA) Asthma Atopic Dermatitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Back Pain Brain Tumor Bones, Joints & Muscles Center Breast Cancer Brain & Behavior Center Brain Tumor Cancer Center    Brain Tumor    Breast Cancer    Cancer Prevention    Clinical Trials    Colorectal Cancer    Endometrial Cancer    Living With and Beyond Cancer    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Skin Cancer Cardiomyopathy Cataracts Cholesterol Control Clinical Trials Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Colorectal Cancer Congenital Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Center Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Digestive Disorders Center Eczema Endometrial Cancer Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Eye & Vision Center Fibromyalgia Food Allergies Gallstone Disease Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) GERD Glaucoma Hay Fever Headache Heart Center Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C High Blood Pressure Hypertension Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Impotence Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Living With and Beyond Cancer Losing Weight Lung Cancer Macular Degeneration Memory Loss Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Prediabetes Prostate Cancer Respiratory Disorders Center Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Sexual & Reproductive Health Center Sinusitis Skin Cancer Sleep Apnea Sleep Center Stroke Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Weight Control Skin Cancer Related Links Even Teens Can Get Skin Cancer Eight Steps to Reduce Your Risk of Cancer Skin Cancer-Related Clinical Trials Information Health Tips from Dr. Healy: Video: Why Cancer Patients Should Stop Smoking Email this page Print this section

• Start with your head, scalp, and face, and continue in an orderly fashion down the entire length of your body, both front and back. It is important to look for any new growths or changes including pink patches or spots, scaly growths, bleeding areas, or changing moles. A friend can help you examine your back and scalp.
• Bend your elbows, and look carefully at your palms; forearms, including the undersides; and upper arms.
• Examine the back and front of your legs. Also look between your buttocks and around your genital area.
• Sit and closely examine your feet, including the soles and the spaces between the toes.

If you have already had skin cancers:

• Feel both sides of your neck, armpits, and groin crease for any new lumps or bumps that may be enlarged lymph nodes, which could indicate that the cancer has spread.

When examining your skin, keep the ABCDEFs of moles in mind.

• Asymmetry: Does half of the mole (or other pigmented skin spot) look different from the other half?
• Border: Is the border of the mole irregular or ill defined?
• Color: Is the color uneven (shades of one or more colors), or has it changed over time?
• Diameter: Is the mole larger than a pencil eraser?
• Elevation: Has the surface of the mole changed? If it was smooth and flat before, is it now elevated (raised)?
• Feeling: Has the sensation (feeling) around the mole changed? Does it itch? Is it painful?