Total body skin exam

Regular skin exams of your entire body are important for everyone. Your dermatologist can recommended how often you need a skin exam based on your individual risk factors for skin cancer, including skin type, family history of skin cancer, weakened immune system or a history of sun exposure.

In-office exams complement regular skin self-exams to check for signs of skin cancer. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, about half of melanomas are self-detected. If you have a history of melanoma, you should have a full-body exam by a board-certified dermatologist at least annually and perform regular self-exams to check for new and changing moles.