WHY SELF-EXAMS ARE SO IMPORTANT

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers, afflicting more than a million Americans each year, a number that is rising rapidly. It is also the easiest to cure, if diagnosed and treated early. When allowed to progress, however, skin cancer can result in disfigurement and even death.

Who Should Do It

You should! And if you have children, begin teaching them how to at an early age so they can do it themselves by the time they are teens. Coupled with yearly skin exams by a doctor, self-exams are the best way to ensure that you don’t become a statistic in the battle against skin cancer.

When To Do It

Performed regularly, self-examination can alert you to changes in your skin and aid in the early detection of skin cancer. It should be done often enough to become a habit, but not so often as to feel like a bother. For most people, once a month is ideal, but ask your doctor if you should do more frequent checks.

You may find it helpful to have a doctor do a fullbody exam first, to assure you that any existing spots, freckles, or moles are normal or treat any that may not be. After the first few times, self-examination should take no more than 10 minutes – a small investment in what could be a life-saving procedure.

What To Look For

There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Because each has many different appearances, it is important to know the early warning signs. Look especially for change of any kind. Do not ignore a suspicious spot simply because it does not hurt. Skin cancers may be painless, but dangerous all the same. If you notice one or more of the warning signs, see a doctor right away, preferably one who specializes in diseases of the skin.

The Warning Signs

• A skin growth that increases in size and appears pearly, translucent, tan, brown, black, or multicolored
• A mole, birthmark, beauty mark, or any brown spot that:
  • changes color
  • increases in size or thickness
  • changes in texture
  • is irregular in outline
  • is bigger than 6mm or 1/4”, the size of a pencil eraser
  • appears after age 21
• A spot or sore that continues to itch, hurt, crust, scab, erode, or bleed
• An open sore that does not heal within three weeks

If You Spot It...

Don’t overlook it. Don’t delay. See a physician, preferably one who specializes in diseases of the skin, if you note any change in an existing mole, freckle, or spot or if you find a new one with any of the warning signs of skin cancer.

Protection Stops It, Too

• Seek the shade, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM.
• Do not burn.
• Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.
• Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day.
• Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside.
• Reapply every two hours, or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.
• Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months.
• Examine your skin head-to-toe every month.
• See your physician every year for a professional skin exam.
• Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths.

How To Use The Body Maps

On the first exam, make a dot corresponding to the location on your skin of each freckle, mole, birthmark, bump, sore, scab, or scaly patch. Draw a line out to the margin and indicate its approximate size and color, and the date.

For each exam after that, find the spot on your skin that matches each dot, record the new date next to the old one, and note any change in size, color, or shape. Record any spots you did not see on last examination.

Use the Self-Examination Schedule to keep track of the dates on which you examined yourself. Indicate year, month, and day.

Step-by-Step Self-Examination

What you’ll need: a bright light, a full-length mirror, a hand mirror, 2 chairs or stools, a blow dryer, body maps and a pencil.

1	Examine your face, especially the nose, lips, mouth, and ears – front and back. Use one or both mirrors to get a clear view.
2	Thoroughly inspect your scalp, using a blow dryer and mirror to expose each section to view. Get a friend or family member to help, if you can.
3	Check your hands carefully: palms and backs, between the fingers and under the fingernails. Continue up the wrists to examine both front and back of your forearms.
4	Standing in front of the full-length mirror, begin at the elbows and scan all sides of your upper arms. Don’t forget the underarms
5	Next focus on the neck, chest, and torso. Women should lift breasts to view the underside.
6	With your back to the full-length mirror, use the hand mirror to inspect the back of your neck, shoulders, upper back, and any part of the back of your upper arms you could not view in step 4.
7	Still using both mirrors, scan your lower back, buttocks, and backs of both legs.
8	Sit down; prop each leg in turn on the other stool or chair. Use the hand mirror to examine the genitals. Check front and sides of both legs, thigh to shin, ankles, tops of feet, between toes and under toenails. Examine soles of feet and heels.

Here's something couples can do on Valentine's Day.  It's a terrific reason to take off all your clothes together. And it shouldn't take longer than ten minutes.

We mean a skin self-exam, of course. It may not be the most romantic thing you'll do on Valentine's day, but it might be the most meaningful...