Skin health education

How to Perform a Skin Self-Exam: Complete Guide

Learn how to perform a thorough skin self-examination. Step-by-step guide for checking your entire body for suspicious moles and skin cancer warning signs.

Prepared by NextPath Labs Medical Team

Regularly examining your skin for signs of skin cancer can help catch potential problems early, when they're most treatable. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, everyone should perform skin self-examinations, regardless of skin color, age, or gender.

By following these simple steps, you can thoroughly check your skin for any new or changing spots, which could be early signs of skin cancer. It's recommended to perform this examination once a month, and to keep a record of your findings to track any changes over time.

Complete Skin Self-Examination Guide

When to Check Your Skin

It's best to examine your skin in a well-lit room after a shower or bath. Make sure you have:

A full-length mirror
A hand mirror for areas that are hard to see
Good lighting
A chair or stool, optional

1. Examine your body in a full-length mirror

Examine your body front and back in a full-length mirror, then look at the right and left sides with your arms raised.

Skin self-exam step 1, source: American Academy of Dermatology

2. Look at your underarms, forearms, and palms

Bend your elbows and look carefully at your forearms, underarms, fingernails, and palms.

Skin self-exam step 2, source: American Academy of Dermatology

3. Look at your legs, between toes, and soles of your feet

Look at the backs of your legs and feet, the spaces between your toes, your toenails, and the soles of your feet.

Skin self-exam step 3, source: American Academy of Dermatology

4. Use a hand mirror to examine your neck and scalp

Examine the back of your neck and scalp with a hand mirror. Part your hair for a closer look at your scalp.

Skin self-exam step 4, source: American Academy of Dermatology

5. Use a hand mirror to check your back and buttocks

Finally, check your back and buttocks with a hand mirror.

Skin self-exam step 5, source: American Academy of Dermatology

What to Look For: The ABCDE Rule

When examining your skin, look for the warning signs of melanoma using the ABCDE rule:

A: Asymmetry

One half of the spot doesn't match the other half.

B: Border

The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred.

C: Color

The color isn't uniform throughout and may include shades of brown, black, red, white, or blue.

D: Diameter

The spot is larger than 6 millimeters across, about the size of a pencil eraser.

E: Evolving

The spot is changing in size, shape, or color over time.

If you notice any suspicious spots, or if a mole is changing, itching, or bleeding, consult with a dermatologist as soon as possible. When caught early, skin cancer is highly treatable.

DermaVision can help you track and monitor changes in your skin over time, but AI screening is not a diagnosis and cannot replace qualified medical care.