Skin self examination
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We recommend that you do a head-to-toe self-examination of your skin every month. This way you can find any new or changing lesions that might be cancerous or precancerous.
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 full-body 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.
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....
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