Skin Checks at The Skin Cancer Centre Coogee
What is a Skin Check and what will happen?
Here at the centre, we perform a "gold standard" skin check. This involves examining your skin from head to toe with the aid of a special device called a dermatoscope. You will be examined in your underwear, but if you have any skin spots of concern which are covered by your underwear, please mention these to your doctor who will look at them for you during the check. Please mention any specific spots that concern you also. Some lesions are easily recognised as benign to the naked eye by our highly trained doctors, who may not place the dermatoscope onto all lesions if not felt necessary. They will happily explain any skin spots to you that you are concerned about.
Typically, a full skin check can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes, depending on the number of moles or skin lesions that you have. Occasionally checks may take less time, and sometimes can take 40 minutes or more. Your doctor will not rush your skin check, some people's skin just takes longer to look at than others. Please be patient if you have a little wait. Photographs of concerning skin lesions may be taken and stored on our specialised skin cancer software, on secure servers, to help identify the site of skin cancers to be treated later, and also for monitoring. Whole body photography may also be used in combination with a full skin check for certain individuals considered high risk, and at your request (additional fees apply for total body photography).
At the end of your skin check your doctor will discuss any suspicious spots they have identified, explain their concerns, and discuss the recommended treatment plan for each spot (see treatments for more information).
If suitable, some skin spots may be treated with cryotherapy (see treatments) at the time of your skin check, and urgent biopsies may be taken if time permits. Otherwise, follow up appointments will be made for biopsies and treatments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Skin Checks
What is a dermatoscope?
A dermatoscope is a specialised hand held device that allows the user to look at the skin in incredible detail. A special polarised filter removes reflections from the skin surface allowing structures within the top layer of the skin to be viewed at 10x magnification, including pigment patterns, blood vessels, and even sweat gland openings. The dermatoscopes used at the Skin Cancer Centre Coogee are of the highest quality, and our doctors are trained in their use to expert level.
How often should I have a skin check?
This is a common question our doctors are asked. Following an initial skin check, our doctors will advise you how frequently they recommend you having your skin checked. This will depend on multiple factors, including past personal history of skin cancers, family history of melanoma, number and shape/size of your moles, other medical conditions (immunosuppressed, certain genetic conditions), your skin type, age and lifetime history of UV exposure and sunburns. A yearly check is generally advised for light skin types, less frequently for darker skin types due to the UV protection that melanin (the skin’s natural pigment) provides, and more frequently if you have had a previous skin cancer, especially for melanomas. Skin cancers are exceptionally rare before puberty and we do not recommend regular skin checks for children before this age. However, as with all age groups, if you see a spot or lump on the skin that is different from the others, a non healing sore, something that is changing, or new, then get it checked.
Early detection saves lives.
There are around 2000 deaths every year from skin cancer in Australia.
Make sure you get your skin checked regularly. Book your skin check at The Skin Cancer Centre Coogee today.
Skin Imaging
Dermatoscopic Imaging
Your doctor may take photographic images of suspicious skin spots to store on DermEngine, a specialised skin cancer software that stores images mapped to a virtual mannequin, which forms part of your medical record. You can be given access to your images on DermEngine if you wish.
Serial Digital Dermatoscopic Imaging
The vast majority of the skin spots seen can be recognised by our highly skilled doctors as either certainly benign, or suspicious requiring biopsy or excision. Some spots, however, can appear to be “borderline”, a little odd looking, but no hard clues that they are cancerous. In these situations, our doctors may offer to perform short term 3 month monitoring of detailed dermatoscopic images to see if a skin spot changes over time to require biopsy, or is stable and behaving in a non-concerning way. It is important that you return for monitoring appointments around the 3 month mark, and an appointment will be made for your on the day. Follow up appointments to check monitored moles are bulk billed. If you notice visible change before your review appointment, call us at The Skin Cancer Centre Coogee and we will book you in for an urgent appointment.
Self Checks
Two out of three Australians will have a skin cancer in their lifetime. Get to know your own skin.
You will find that your moles have a few similar types and getting to know these will help you identify what is new or abnormal.
Have your partner examine any difficult to see areas. The most common site for melanomas in females is the thighs. This is an area of underexposed skin that gets bursts of severe burn in young age when at the beach due to swimwear. Whereas men tend to wear shorts to the beach so the most common site for a melanoma for men is the back.
After 45yo, as part of the ageing process, you should not get any new moles and none of your moles should change. Any new or changing mole in someone >45years warrants urgent review.