It’s Time For a Mole Check

Now that summer is coming to a close, it is time to take a close look at your skin to identify any areas of concern or damage from the past few months of sun exposure. With the skin more exposed during summer, damage can easily occur without warming. Performing a routine full body skin check to look for suspicious moles or other lesions is important for your skin’s health and your overall health. All threats to your skin health are treatable when they are caught early – but you must be proactive and catch them.

It is always important to take an evaluation of your skin’s texture, moisture level, pigmentation, and reactions to the elements around you. However, it is even more critical that you evaluate your moles. Cancerous moles, or melanoma, is the most harmful form of skin cancer. If left untreated, or if not caught early enough, it can be fatal.

Dermatologists have made it as easy as possible to do a mole check: Use your ABCDEs!

• A: Asymmetry. Does one half of your mole look different than the other half?
• B: Border Irregularity. Is the border of a mole poorly defined? Are they blurred?
• C: Color. Has your mole changed color? Is it darker? Is it multicolored?
• D: Diameter. Is your mole bigger than a pencil eraser?
• E: Evolution. Is your mole changing in size, shape, or color?

If you have a mole that concerns you after doing your ABCDEs, it is important to consult your dermatologist. Remember, early intervention offers the best likelihood for good outcomes. At Medical Dermatology Specialists in Atlanta, we offer preventive dermatology skin checks. We can diagnose your moles quickly and determine if any are concerning. If you have a mole, or multiple moles, that we are concerned with, a simply biopsy can be done to be sure it is not cancerous. But the first step is up to you. It’s time for a mole check – it can save your life!