Skin cancer awareness and self-checks

A regular look at your whole skin, head to toe, in good light with a full-length mirror and a hand mirror. The goal is to learn what is normal for you so changes stand out.

Often suggested for adults of any skin tone, especially with many moles, a history of sunburns or tanning beds, or a family history of skin cancer.

A self-check does not replace a professional exam, and a normal-looking self-check does not rule out skin cancer. Some areas, like the back and scalp, are hard to see alone, so a partner or a clinician can help.

New spots, changes in an old spot, sores that do not heal, and spots that bleed, itch, or hurt. Photos taken for your own records can help you notice change.

Takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Many people do it once a month, for example after a shower.

• How often should I check my skin given my own risk?
• Can you show me how to check hard-to-see areas?
• Should I take photos of my moles to track changes?

Habits that lower UV exposure: shade, tightly woven clothing, wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, and broad-spectrum sunscreen. Avoiding tanning beds is part of this.

Commonly recommended for everyone, at any age and skin tone, and especially for people with a history of sunburns or skin cancer.

Sunscreen cannot block all UV, so it works best together with shade and clothing. Some people react to certain sunscreen ingredients; a clinician can help find options.

Sunburn, new skin irritation from a product, and missed spots such as ears, scalp part, lips, and the tops of the feet.

Protection is a lifelong habit. Benefits add up over years.

• What sun protection fits my skin tone and daily routine?
• Do any of my medicines make me more sun sensitive?
• What are safer ways to get a tanned look?

Prescription creams or other skin-applied medicines. Examples of this class include imiquimod and fluorouracil cream.

May be discussed for some very superficial skin cancers or precancerous patches when a clinician judges them suitable. They are not right for every type, and they do not replace getting a spot examined first.

Not suitable for spots that have not been confirmed, deeper cancers, or melanoma in most situations. Pregnancy and other health conditions can matter, so your clinician will review this.

Redness, crusting, soreness, and irritation in the treated area are common. On brown and Black skin, lasting color changes can follow irritation. Report severe reactions or signs of infection.

Courses are set by the prescriber. Your clinician will say when and how to judge results.

• Is a topical treatment an option for my diagnosis?
• What irritation is expected and when should I call you?
• How will we know it worked, and will you recheck the area?

A head-to-toe check by a clinician, often a dermatologist, who may use a handheld magnifier called a dermatoscope to look closely at spots.

Often considered when you notice a new or changing spot, have a higher risk, or have not had a full skin exam and are unsure if one fits you.

There is no age or skin tone that rules it out. If you feel unsure about undressing, you can ask about gowns, a chaperone, or which areas will be checked.

Tell the clinician about any spot that bothers you, even if it seems small. Ask which areas were examined, including scalp, nails, palms, soles, and between the toes.

A visit often takes 10 to 20 minutes. How often to repeat it depends on your history and risk.

• How often should I have a full skin exam?
• Will you check my scalp, nails, palms, and soles?
• Which of my spots should I watch most closely?

A small sample of a spot is taken, usually after numbing the skin, and sent to a lab where a specialist looks at it under a microscope. It is how a spot is confirmed as cancer or not.

Often considered when a spot looks suspicious, is changing, or cannot be identified by looking alone.

Tell the clinician if you take blood thinners, have bleeding problems, have allergies to numbing medicine or bandage adhesive, or tend to form raised scars (keloids), which is more common in darker skin.

Some soreness, bleeding, and a small scar are common. Signs of infection, such as spreading redness, warmth, pus, or fever, need prompt care.

The procedure takes minutes. Results often take days to a couple of weeks.

• Why do you recommend a biopsy for this spot?
• What type of biopsy will it be and what will the scar look like?
• How and when will I get my results?

Surgery removes the skin cancer and some normal-looking skin around it. Mohs surgery removes the cancer in thin layers, checking each layer under a microscope right away so as little healthy skin as possible is taken.

Surgery is often discussed for many skin cancers. Mohs is often discussed for cancers on the face, ears, hands, or other areas where saving healthy skin matters, or for certain types or recurrences.

Your overall health, medicines such as blood thinners, the spot's location, and the type of cancer all affect the choice. Your care team can explain which approach fits.

Pain, bleeding, swelling, infection signs, and scarring. Follow your surgeon's wound care instructions.

Healing often takes weeks. Follow-up skin checks are usually part of care afterward.

• Which kind of surgery do you recommend for my type and location?
• What will healing and scarring look like?
• How often will I need follow-up skin checks?

Treatments that act on the spot itself without a wide surgical removal, such as radiation therapy, freezing, or scraping and burning the surface.

May be discussed for certain skin cancers or precancers, or when surgery is not a good option for a person's health or the spot's location.

They may not suit deeper or higher-concern cancers, and they often give no tissue sample to examine afterward, so a biopsy usually comes first. Your clinician will explain which fit.

Blistering, soreness, scarring, and lasting skin color changes, which can be more noticeable on brown and Black skin.

Varies by method. Radiation is given over a series of visits set by the care team.

• Why this option instead of surgery for me?
• What changes in skin color or texture should I expect?
• What follow-up will I need?

When a skin cancer has spread or cannot be treated with local methods, clinicians may discuss whole-body medicines. These include immunotherapy (medicines that help the immune system recognize cancer), targeted therapy (medicines aimed at specific changes in cancer cells), and chemotherapy.

May be discussed by a cancer care team for advanced or spreading disease. This is handled by specialists such as oncologists, not by self-checks or this page.

Suitability depends on the cancer type, test results, other conditions such as autoimmune disease or organ transplant, and personal goals. Your specialist will review this with you.

Side effects differ by medicine class and can affect many body systems. The care team will explain what to report right away.

Set by the cancer care team, with regular scans and visits to check how treatment is going.

• Why is this class of medicine being discussed for me?
• What side effects should I report right away?
• Are clinical trials an option for me?