- Stand in front of a large mirror, under bright light, and check every part of your skin, not just the places that are easy to see.
- Use a hand mirror to check the backs of your legs, the soles of your feet and the undersides of your arms.
- What to look for
|
For Non-Melanoma |
For Melanoma |
|
Smooth, pearly or translucent bumps that may bleed or crust over |
Asymmetry in a mole—one half of the mole looks different than the other half |
|
Flat red spots that are scaly, crusty or bleed easily |
Border irregularity—the edges of a mole are ragged, blurred or notched |
|
Smooth, shiny bumps that may look like a mole |
Color—does the shade vary from one part of the mole to the other? |
|
A patch of skin that looks like a scar on the face |
Diameter—the mole is larger than a pencil eraser |
|
Firm, pearly bumps with tiny blood vessels in a spiderlike
|
Evolving—A mole or skin lesion that looks different from the rest or is changing in size, shape or color |
Your doctor or dermatologist can confirm if the changes you find on your skin or in a mole is from cancer.
