I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t like to think about what I really look like without my clothes on. Naked assessments of my body are something I generally try to avoid. The only advice I have to offer is to concentrate on the skin, and not how much there is of it.
Why am I even asking you to do this? Because, I want you to live a long and healthy life. Each year more than one million people will find out they have skin cancer. Ten thousand people will die from it. The sun and genetics can be our worst enemies when it comes to the skin we’re in.
A full body skin assessment should be done about every six months, every three if you are out in the sun a lot, use tanning beds, or have a history of skin problems. Most cases of skin cancer are found on areas that are regularly exposed to the sun, but you should make a careful assessment of all your skin. Have your partner or a friend help you view areas that you can’t see with the aid of mirrors.
Keep an eye on moles, freckles, lumps, bruises and birthmarks. Also watch for bruising and scaling.
You’re looking for areas that:
- Don’t look the same throughout the whole (like a mole with a lumpy part and a flat part, or a patch of skin with two different colors)
- Have edges that are ragged or uneven
- Vary in color
- Have grown or changed rapidly
- Have permanent bleeding or oozing
- Won’t heal
- Are larger than the tip a pencil eraser
Pain isn’t a sign you’re looking for, the really scary problems don’t usually hurt.
The earlier you can catch a problem, the better your options and chances are. To catch a problem early, you have to know your body. Take time to get to know all of your bumps and lumps- whether you think they belong there or not. You need to be able to tell when something is new, or just different.
If you notice something that worries you, document it. Take color pictures of the area then write the date and the precise measurements of the area on the back of the photograph. If you suspect something is changing or growing very rapidly, use a permanent marker to trace the edges and watch for changes. You and your doctor can use these tools to get a better idea of what is going on with your skin.
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