When Should You Get Your Mole Checked Out?

It’s important to recognize the warning signs that a mole might be cancerous.moles

Whether you spent years lathering on suntan oil and lounging in the sun or your family has a history of melanoma, it’s important to be aware of risk factors that could increase your chances of developing skin cancer. Furthermore, you should also take time to really get to know your skin so if changes do arise that you can immediately turn to our Daytona Beach and Port Orange, FL, dermatologist, Dr. Jeffrey Heller, for care.

So, what are the warning signs that a mole might be taking a turn toward skin cancer?

It’s important that you are examining your own skin about once a month to look for suspicious moles or growth. If you are regularly performing self-skin exams you are going to be more likely to detect issues right away when problems are easier to treat. Even though you’ll want to pay the most attention to areas of the body that are more likely to be exposed to the sun like the head, face, arms and hands it’s still important to examine every area of your body (even in places you wouldn’t expect like your scalp or between your toes).

When examining your skin it’s important to remember your ABCDEs. If you notice a mole that has any of these warning signs then it’s important to call our Daytona Beach and Port Orange skin doctor right away:

  • Asymmetry: If one side of the mole is a different shape or size than the other side (draw an imaginary line down the center of the mole. Both sides should be even in shape and size)
  • Border: The mole has a blurry, uneven or poorly defined border
  • Color: The mole contains multiple colors or different shades of brown, black, white, or red
  • Diameter: The mole is bigger than the eraser end of a pencil
  • Evolving: Your mole is changing color, shape or size over time (healthy moles should stay relatively the same and shouldn’t change)

Of course, if you do have a suspicious mole that is displaying one of these issues this doesn’t necessarily mean that you might have melanoma. In fact, sometimes melanoma doesn’t follow these rules at all, which is why you should schedule a skin cancer screening once a year just to play it safe. Even those with little to no risk factors for skin cancer should still get screened.

If in doubt, don’t hesitate to turn to our dedicated and caring dermatological team for the care your skin deserves. We offer locations in Daytona Beach and Port Orange, FL, to serve you better. Schedule your skin cancer screening today!

Contact Us

Send Us an Email

Our Location

511 N. Clyde Morris Blvd. Daytona Beach, FL 32114

Hours of Operation

Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed