What you need to know about skin checks

Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that starts in melanocytes. Melanocytes are the pigment cells in the skin that give skin its colour. One Australian is diagnosed with melanoma every 30 minutes. One Australian dies from melanoma every 6 hours. Skin checks are vital in detecting the early signs of skin cancer. In this blog post we will discuss what is involved in a skin check, why it is important to have one and what you need to do prior to your appointment. 

What are skin checks?

Skin checks provide an opportunity to have your skin screened for skin cancers or pre-cancerous changes to the skin. As part of this service, a melanographer will perform a systematic total body check to ascertain if a potential skin lesion could be cancerous in asymptomatic individuals.

In situations where we suspect potentially malignancy or at-risk moles, we will refer you to your primary care provider for confirmatory diagnosis and treatment as needed.

Why carry out skin checks?

Skin cancers are usually caused by exposure to UV radiation from the sun. Factors such as having an occupational exposure to UV radiation from the sun, use of tanning beds, a history of sunburns, familial history of skin cancer and having fair skin may increase an individual’s susceptibility in developing this condition. Engaging in regular checks helps allow for early identification and monitoring thereby reducing mortality risk and can form part of necessary work, health and safety regulation screening requirements in certain industries.

What happens during a skin check?

During a skin check procedure, the clinician will use an instrument called a dermatoscope to inspect lesions in the skin to determine if they could be potentially at RISK.

To the untrained eye early signs of melanoma may look like any other spot. A dermatoscope can be used to look below the surface of a skin lesion to detect early signs of skin cancer that may not have been picked up during visual checks.

To put this simply, a skin check involves a “moment in time”, check where the clinician will check your skin for signs of Melanoma or other skin cancers and refer you on if any malignancy is suspected.

What do I do prior to my skin check appointment?

Prior to your skin check appointment please look at your skin, scalp and private areas and note any areas of concerns. During the skin check, your clinician will ask you to undress, and your sun exposure history will be established.

Refrain from using any make-up, skin tanner or polishes on your nails to facilitate the clinician in getting an unobstructed view.

The clinician will use a tool called a dermatoscope to see patterns in a mole or lesion of concern. If a lesion of concern is in your private area, the clinician will refer you to see your primary care provider as this cannot be checked in a skin check which forms part of a health assessment due to company policy. Any lesions that appear suspicious will be noted and you will be referred for further assessment and review.