Beauty Marks

I have lots of “beauty marks” that I do not feel are beautiful at all. It has been a couple of years now since I have had a formal skin cancer screening, but I have been thinking about it this month. May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Awareness Month.

With the many beauty marks that I have, it is necessary for me to keep a close eye on my skin. A few years ago, I had some dysplastic nevi or precancerous moles removed. I normally do a regular check of my skin every few months. This is what I check my “beauty marks” for:

A- Asymmetry
B- Border- irregular and scalloped
C- Color- mottled, haphazard display of brown, black, pink
D- Diameter- large- greater than a pencil eraser
E- Enlargement or growth in size and elevated


Of these, a change in size or appearance is the most important.


This is the mnemonic that I use for my Melanoma self screening approximately every month. Since you can not see all of your own skin, you should have someone look in areas that you can not see. If you would like more information, go to http://www.aad.org/. Some dermatologists offer free screenings in May!


Don't forget sunscreen for the entire family this summer!


Have you or a loved one been affected by Melanoma?

-Robin