How to do self exam

Home Skin Screening

Patient Information Guide From Dr.__________________

You can improve your chances of finding skin cancer promptly by performing a simple skin self-exam regularly. The best time to do this self-exam is after a shower or bath. You should check your skin in a well-lighted room using a full-length mirror and a hand-held mirror. It’s best to begin by learning where your birthmarks, moles, and blemishes are and what they usually look like. Check for anything new - a change in the size, texture, or color of a mole, or a sore that does not heal. Check all areas, including the back, the scalp, between the buttocks, and the genital area.

Look at the front and back of your body in the mirror, then raise your arms and look at the left and right sides.
Bend your elbows and look carefully at the palms, the forearms, including the undersides, and the upper arms.
Examine the back and front of the legs.
Also look between the buttocks and around the genital area.
Sit and closely examine the feet, including the soles and the spaces between the toes.
Look at your face, neck, and scalp. You may want to use a comb or a blow dryer to move hair so that you can see better.

By checking your skin regularly, you will become familiar with what is normal. If you find anything unusual, see your doctor right away. Remember, the earlier skin cancer is found, the better the chance for cure.

Even following these steps, many people have difficulty telling if a mole has grown larger, or even if a mole is new. Particularly for those that are at high risk, a system to help monitor moles is often desired. For these people the DermAlert® computer imaging system lets you carefully monitor regions of your body in the privacy of your own home and provide important feedback to your physician. The DermAlert® method is simple to do following four basic steps:

	Step 1. Using a digital camera( at least a 2 megapixel resolution with an LCD viewfinder) have a spouse or partner photograph the parts of your body you wish to monitor following an easy protocol. This establishes your baseline set of images.
Step 2. Repeat the imaging protocol at 6 month or yearly intervals to acquire image pairs of body regions: the new image and your baseline image.
	Step 3. View your images using the DermAlert® software and your home computer to identify any new or changing moles. New moles are easily identified as blinking moles on the screen, while moles that have grown will appear to pulsate on the screen.
Step 4. Report all findings to your physician during your examination. Point out specific moles that are new or changing. New or changing moles are frequently found and are usually harmless but it is important for the physician to examine these moles for suspicious signs.

Detailed information about the DermAlert® computer system for the home monitoring of skin lesions can be found at www.dermalert.com.