Does this sound like you are returning to school to re-learn the alphabet? This special alphabet is a tool designed to help the general public be aware of how to identify questionable moles on their own body and how to conduct a skin check in the privacy of their home. Remember: this is your first line of defense against skin cancer.
Necessary Steps for a Skin Check
*Use a full-length & hand-held mirror in a well lighted room
• Start at your head and move down to your feet.
• Check your face, neck, eyes, ears and scalp.
• Check the front and back of your body.
• Raise your arms and look at your left and right side.
• Check your upper arms, forearms (on all sides), palms and fingernails.
• Check the front, back and all sides of your legs. Remember to examine your bottom & genitalia.
• Sit down to look at your feet, toenails, soles and in-between your toes.
What to Look For?
• A mole that looks different from the others.
• A reddish or darker flaky patch, which may be raised.
• A mole that has changed in size, shape, color, or feel; mine became itchy!
• A sore that does not heal.
• A new firm bump that is flesh-colored.
You know your ABC's.
Now it's time to learn your ABCDE's!
This is an easy way to identify characteristics of unusual moles that may be melanoma or other skin cancers.
• A = asymmetrical shape. Moles that are irregular in shape, such as having two very different-looking halves.
• B = border. Moles that have irregular, scalloped or notched borders.
• C = color. Watch for changes in color, growths with many colors or an uneven distribution of color.
• D = diameter. Watch for new growth in a mole that’s larger than ¼ inch (about 6 mm, or approximately the size of an eraser).
• E = evolving. Be aware of changes over time. A mole that gets bigger, changes shape or color, or develops new signs or symptoms such as itchiness or bleeding, for example.
Click here for more information from the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Necessary Steps for a Skin Check
*Use a full-length & hand-held mirror in a well lighted room
• Start at your head and move down to your feet.
• Check your face, neck, eyes, ears and scalp.
• Check the front and back of your body.
• Raise your arms and look at your left and right side.
• Check your upper arms, forearms (on all sides), palms and fingernails.
• Check the front, back and all sides of your legs. Remember to examine your bottom & genitalia.
• Sit down to look at your feet, toenails, soles and in-between your toes.
What to Look For?
• A mole that looks different from the others.
• A reddish or darker flaky patch, which may be raised.
• A mole that has changed in size, shape, color, or feel; mine became itchy!
• A sore that does not heal.
• A new firm bump that is flesh-colored.
You know your ABC's.
Now it's time to learn your ABCDE's!
This is an easy way to identify characteristics of unusual moles that may be melanoma or other skin cancers.
• A = asymmetrical shape. Moles that are irregular in shape, such as having two very different-looking halves.
• B = border. Moles that have irregular, scalloped or notched borders.
• C = color. Watch for changes in color, growths with many colors or an uneven distribution of color.
• D = diameter. Watch for new growth in a mole that’s larger than ¼ inch (about 6 mm, or approximately the size of an eraser).
• E = evolving. Be aware of changes over time. A mole that gets bigger, changes shape or color, or develops new signs or symptoms such as itchiness or bleeding, for example.
Click here for more information from the Skin Cancer Foundation.
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