An annual skin check is a professional, visual examination of your skin performed by your provider, to check for early signs of skin cancer. It involves a thorough inspection of your skin from head to toe, including areas like the scalp, face, and back.
As part of a complete early detection strategy, it is important to have your skin checked and examined once a year or more often if you are at a higher risk of skin cancer.
To help you prepare and make the most of your appointment, follow these five simple steps:
- Perform a self-exam and come to your appointment prepared with notes about any new, changing, or unusual spots you want to point out to your provider. If you’ve taken photos of a spot that has changed over time, be sure to show them to your provider.
- Remove nail polish from your fingers and toes to enable thorough examination of fingers, nails, and nail beds, since skin cancers can form there.
- Wear your hair loose. Remove pony tails, buns, or hair clips so that your provider can get a good look at your scalp where skin cancers can, and do, develop.
- Pack makeup remover to bring to your appointment and remove any makeup before your exam so that the skin around your eyes is easy to examine.
- Ask questions.
During the exam
If you’ve never had abnormal moles or skin cancer, the exam will likely be brief. You’ll need to remove your clothes and put on a medical exam gown. It is unlikely you will be told to remove your underwear, unless you have indicated that a spot on your genitalia concerns you. Your provider will thoroughly check your skin from head to toe, paying close attention to hard-to-see spots like your scalp, back and buttocks, behind your ears, and even between your toes. Your provider will utilize a small handheld magnifying device called a dermatoscope, that visualizes the outer surface of the skin (the epidermis) and the layers just beneath it. We also complete a hair and scalp analysis using a specialized analyzer to have a better visualization of your hair and scalp (this is usually a fun part for our patients to see their skin and hair in a microscopic view).
Your nurse practitioner may biopsy one or more suspicious spots. This usually means removing part or all of the lesion and sending it to a pathology lab for analysis. If the report comes back that the spot is skin cancer, your nurse practitioner will contact you and explain the type of skin cancer and treatment options. You may need a dermatology referral for specialized care at that point.
Remember that early detection of skin cancer is the key to the most minimal and cost-effective treatment with the highest chance of a cure. Make your appointment soon!
Do you have a dermatologist at this office?
No. Our provider is a Doctor of Nursing Practice, Family Nurse Practitioner who provides dermatology services at a primary care level. Just like any other condition or new finding / diagnosis, we will provide you referrals to a dermatologist as needed.
Is the annual skin check a part of my annual physical exam?
No. This is a separate and rather time-consuming exam which is completed as a separate exam.
Is the annual skin check covered by my insurance?
We don’t know. We will bill it as a primary care visit. Please contact your insurance company directly to determine your coverage.
What should I bring to my appointment?
A list of your medications and supplements you take and specific skin care products that may have caused a change in your skin presentation. You should also bring your most recent lab results from the last six months to review.
Can I keep my underwear on during the exam?
Yes. You should keep your underwear on during the exam and if there is a spot that needs to get checked we will address it.
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