Why Self check?

Self checking for skin cancer is the best way to detect the disease early but you need to know how to do it. Keeping an eye on new and changing moles on your body and your family can save lives. Its easy to do, costs nothing and only takes a few minutes every few months.

When to do it

Getting into a regular routine is important and everyone should be able to manage to do a thorough check of their skin every three months. Get your partner to help you, two sets of eyes are better than one!

An ideal time to do it is after a shower.

What you need

Good lighting is essential

A full length mirror and a smaller hand held mirror

A chair or a stool

How to do it

You need to have a good system so that you dont miss any part of your skin

Start with your face, work down the body to your toes and then turn around, dont forget to look at the back half of your body.

In the mirror, thoroughly examine your face and neck and upper torso. Women need also to look under the breasts.

Next move to your arms. Make sure you look at the front, the back and underneath your arm and in your armpit. Then move down to your elbow and forearm and dont forget to look at your hands and under your nails.

Next examine the lower half of your torso including around the genital region

It is often easiest to examine your legs when you are sitting on a chair. Look at as much of your legs including the toenails and soles of the feet.

Finally, examine the back half of your body. This is the bit that many people forget. The easiest way to do it is standing with your back to a full length mirror and use a small handheld mirror to examine the back of your thighs, your buttocks, your back and the back of your neck. Alternatively, use a friend of partner to check these areas for you.

Remember when it comes to skin cancer prevention and early detection are the key. Make sure you always cover up and check your skin at least four times a year!

Take digital images of suspicious spots so you can compare size, shape and colour when you next check. Small changes over time can be difficult to detect without something to compare against. Make sure you refer to our Spots to Watch brochure before starting your skin check so that you refresh your memory on what to look for.

You can download our spots to watch guide here