In addition to an annual screening by your derm, it's crucial that you give your skin a monthly once-over on your own.
Follow these simple steps, and if you see something suspicious, clue in your doc ASAP.
1) Stand next to a mirror in a well-lit room. Keep a hand mirror nearby so you can scan harder-to-view body regions, like your back and neck.
2) Start at the bottoms of your feet and work your way up your legs, torso, back, and arms, carefully examining any mole or mark.
3) ABCD is what you need to look for: Asymmetry (one side doesn't match the other), a jagged Border, a nonbrown Color or different colors within one mark, and/or a Diameter larger than a quarter inch.
4) Jot down a description of any spot, including its location and specific symptoms, so you'll have the details you'll need to tell your derm.
5) Don't forget your nails, your pubes, and your scalp, which you can see by aiming a blow-dryer so the air stream parts your hair.
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