You should examine your own skin regularly approximately once a month, but often people aren’t sure what they are supposed to be checking for or how best to examine their skin. Here are some skin examination tips to follow:
Skin examination tips:
- Remember to check your face, neck, ears, body, arms and legs front and back
- Don’t forget your scalp, in between your toes and the bottoms of your feet
- You can use a handheld mirror to look at your back or ask your partner to help
- Things to be concerned about are new, changing lesions, very itchy or bleeding ones and any lesions or crusty sore ones that don’t heal up
- Also seek medical advice if you find new lesions that change in colour, size, shape or thickness over a period of weeks to months
- Remember, moles are not always brown-coloured, so look out for pink, red, blue-black or skin-coloured lumps and bumps also
Self-skin examinations are important for you to do at home at regular intervals. This increases your chances of noticing something unusual so that you can present to the doctor for investigation at the earliest stage possible. If you’ve noticed a skin change that is concerning, you can arrange a consultation with Dr Kara Heelan at either the Chelsea Outpatient Centre (020 3494 4024) or Sydney Street Outpatients & Diagnostic Centre (020 3733 9029).
