Skin Exam

What A Skin Exam Involves

One out of every five Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer over the course of their lifetime. Early detection of most types of skin cancer improves the odds for successful treatment.

Monthly self-skin exams and yearly dermatologist-performed full-body skin exams are the best way to ensure early detection.

 How to Prepare for a Skin Exam:

1. Perform a self-exam and come to your appointment prepared with notes about any new, changing or unusual spots you want to point out to your dermatologist. If you’ve taken smartphone photos of a spot that has changed over time, be sure to show them to your dermatologist.
2. Remove nail polish from your fingers and toes to enable thorough examination of fingers, nails and nail beds, since skin cancers can form there.
3. Wear your hair loose. Remove pony tails, buns or hair clips so that your doctor can get a good look at your scalp where skin cancers can, and do, develop.
4. Remove your makeup. Please come to your appointment without makeup on or be willing to remove your makeup at our office.
5. Ask questions. This is your opportunity to get valuable advice and insight from a professional trained specifically in diseases of the skin. From explanations of unfamiliar terms to pointers on how to do a skin self-exam, your doctor is an excellent source of information!

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