How to check your skin at home, and when to book a screening
A five-minute monthly routine, the ABCDE rule for moles, and the three signs that mean you should book rather than wait.
A monthly skin check takes five minutes and catches most melanomas early, when they are almost always curable. Here is how to do it well.
Set up
Good light, a full-length mirror and a hand mirror. Check the same day each month so changes are easier to spot.
The ABCDE rule
Asymmetry, irregular Border, more than one Colour, Diameter over 6 mm, and Evolving (changing in size, shape or feel). One of these is a reason to book; two or more is a reason to book this week.
The three signs that mean do not wait
A spot that bleeds without being knocked, a mole that looks different from all your others, and a sore that does not heal within four weeks.
If anything on this list applies, book a screening. It takes 30 minutes and anything suspicious can be dealt with in the same visit.
