FAQs
You should see your dermatologist at least once a year for a full skin exam if you are relatively healthy and do not have a history of skin cancer or other skin-related health issues. Depending on your health history or findings during one of your exams, your dermatologist might want to see you more frequently.
Patients can spot potential warning signs of melanoma themselves with regular skin checks, keeping a particular eye on what are known as the ABCDE’s, a list dermatologists use as they monitor for skin cancer: A is for asymmetry, B is for irregular borders, C is for color, whether one color is unevenly distributed or multiple colors are present, D is for diameter, with concern for moles larger than 6mm across, and E is for evolution, meaning lesions that change over time.
Skin cancer is treatable. Treatment can range from a simple five-minute procedure that leaves you with a healing scab to a slightly more invasive procedure including stitches. Like most health issues, the sooner it is detected, the less invasive treatment can be.