Have a hand-mirror nearby to help you check your back and other difficult to see areas. You may want to ask a spouse, family member, or friend help you check those hard-to-see areas, as well as to check your neck and scalp.

Women should lift their breasts to check the skin underneath.

Using the hand mirror, check the bottoms of each foot, each calf, and the backs of each of your thighs.

It may be easier to look at your back in the full-length mirror by using a hand mirror — or asking your spouse, friend or family member to check.

For those who are not at high risk, you can check yourself every three, six, or even 12 months, depending on other risk factors like exposure to the sun or amount of moles.

Asymmetry: One half of the mole looks or feels different than the other half. Border: Normal moles have regular, relatively smooth borders. Melanomas tend to have irregular, notched, ragged, blurry, or uneven borders. Color: If the color of the area of skin is uneven, like if it contains various shades of brown, black, or other colors, it may be a sign of skin cancer. Diameter: Any spot of different-looking skin larger than ¼ inch should be checked. Evolving or changing spot: The changes in the area can be in size, shape, color or texture, like. bumpy versus smooth.

A sore that does not heal Spreading of pigment from the border of the spot into the surrounding skin Redness or swelling extending beyond the border of the spot Any change in sensation, such as increased itchiness, tenderness, or pain Any change in the surface of a mole, like scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or the appearance of a bump or nodule A new mole

If you have moles, make a habit of keeping an eye on them. Normal moles are usually evenly colored and can be flat or raised above the skin a bit. Moles are usually round or oval and smaller than about ¼ inch. Some people have a condition called dysplastic nevi, which are atypical moles. They look different than a normal mole. Usually, they’re larger, and sometimes they differ in color, texture, or shape than a normal mole. These atypical moles increase your chance of getting skin cancer, and sometimes melanoma can happen inside the dyplastic nevus.

It is thought that since these are people who also are at higher risk for sunburn, UV radiation from the sun plays an important role in the development of melanomas. However, even those with darker skin can have melanoma on the lighter areas of their bodies. These areas include the soles of the feet, the palms of the hands, and under the nails.

If your sunburns were severe, you are at a higher risk. Severe sunburns include peeling, blistering, or other adverse side effects.

If you live at higher elevations or close to the equator, you are at higher risk because of the elevated level of UV rays. [14] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Men tend to have higher rates of melanoma than women. [15] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Individuals with a condition known as xeroderma pigmentosum have a higher risk of melanoma.

Those with a family or personal history of melanoma Those who have fair hair, light skin, or many freckles Individuals who have more than a few scattered moles

If you are a low risk candidate, decide if you want to check yourself every three, six, or 12 months. If you have had more exposure to the sun and UV rays, or you have a lot of moles, you may want to check yourself more often than if you don’t. [18] X Trustworthy Source National Cancer Institute An agency in the National Institutes of Health focused on cancer research and patient support Go to source If you are unsure about how often you should check yourself, contact your doctor. Almost every skin cancer caught early can be treated and cured. The chances of cure decrease with later detection.

Much less commonly, melanomas can develop on the eyes, the mouth, the genitals, and around the anus.