• Examine your skin once per month
• Stand undressed, three feet in front of a full-length mirror, any moles that you cannot see from three feet away are generally nothing to worry about
• Try to recognize patterns of the moles in your skin
• Use a small hand held mirror combined with the full-length mirror to look at your back and the backs of your legs
  • These are the most common locations for melanoma
• Look for the appearance of new moles and the features described above in the description of “bad” moles
• Follow up with your doctor at least once a year to have your moles checked
  • If you have any moles that are changing or that you are worried about, you should have them checked sooner

Prevention of Skin Cancer:

• Wear a hat with a broad brim and protective clothing (e.g. long sleeves)
• Avoid the outdoors when the sun is strongest between the hours of 10 am to 3 pm
• Use a sunscreen year round with an SPF of at least 30
• Wear a sunscreen which resists water and sweating and which protects against both UVA and UVB
• Reapply sunscreen every hour if you are in water or sweating heavily
• Wear sunscreen even if you are in the shade, it is still possible to burn
• Avoid tanning beds
  • The ultraviolet light from tanning beds is known to cause skin cancer