In order to detect cancer in the early stages, check your skin once a month. Become familiar with your pattern of moles, blemishes and other marks so that you can detect changes should they occur. Look for new moles or spots that have changed in shape and color. Examine yourself in a well-lit room and use a hand mirror for hard-to-see areas.
Look at the front and back of your body in the mirror.
Raise your arms and look at your right and left sides.
Bend your elbows and look carefully at your forearms,
including the underarms and upper arms.
Examine carefully your palms, fingernails and in between your fingers.
Look at the backs, sides and fronts of your legs.
Examine your feet, soles, toenails and in between your toes.
Examine your face, neck, ears and scalp.
Part your hair for a closer look.
Check your back and buttocks with a hand mirror.
Also look between the buttocks and around the groin area.
Reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Dermatology
