Skin Examination

It is best to perform self-examination of the skin once a month to detect the early warning signs of skin cancer. Look for any skin changes. The following table from Skin Cancer Foundation illustrates how to do self-examination. It is difficult to stop once the skin cancer spread to other parts of the body. Thus, it is better to take few minutes examining than having to wait until skin cancer to develop.

What you'll need: a bright light; a full-length mirror; a hand mirror; two chairs or stools; a blow-dryer.

	Examine head and face, using one or both mirrors. Use blow-dryer to inspect scalp.
	Check hands, including nails. In full-length mirror, examine elbows, arms, underarms.
	Focus on neck, chest, torso. Women: Check under breasts.
	With back to the mirror, use hand mirror to inspect back of neck, shoulders, upper arms, back, buttocks, legs.
	Sitting down, check legs and feet, including soles, heels, and nails. Use hand mirror to examine genitals.

If you find anything suspicious with your skin, contact your local dermatologist. Anyone who has had skin cancer or has an increased risk of developing skin cancer should be examined by a dermatologist regularly [1].