DigitalDerm, Inc - How to perform a SSE

Saving people from melanoma
one patient at a time

Using MoleMapCD during Skin Self-Examinations

How to perform a Skin Self-Examination

Melanoma experts recommend you follow these steps when performing your SSE:

Examine your body front and back in the mirror, then your right and left sides with arms raised.
Bend your elbows and look carefully at your forearms, upper underarms and palms. Carefully examine your fingernails and fingernail beds for any new streaks or black spots.
Look at the front and backs of your legs. Inspect the tops and soles of your feet and pay special attention to the spaces between your toes. Like your hands, inspect your toenails for streaks or black spots.
Examine the back of your neck and entire scalp with a hand mirror. Part your hair for a closer look.
Check all parts of your ears, especially the ear canals. Carefully inspect other areas covered by hair: beards, mustaches, sideburns and genitals. Check your back, buttocks and between your buttocks with a hand mirror.
Finally, using the flashlight and a mirror, examine the inside of your mouth and under your tongue. Next, tilt your head backwards and examine the inside of your nose for any pigmented lesions.
For areas that are hard-to-see, it is best to ask your partner to look for skin changes.

If you are at risk for melanoma, your doctor has most likely recommended that you do Skin Self-Examinations (SSE) at home on a regular basis. When you know the pattern of the moles, spots, freckles, and other marks on your skin, you can recognize changes more easily.

Using MoleMapCD during your SSE also can help relieve your anxiety and guesswork. The CD’s 36 images serve as an accurate basis of comparison as you look at any unusual sores, lumps, spots, markings, or changes. Sometimes the changes may be a sign of melanoma, or a warning that it might develop. When you see something suspicious, you simply compare your skin to the image on your MoleMapCD. Immediately you can see if the change is real or imagined.

Your MoleMapCD comes with an easy-to-read brochure that explains the self-exam process. In addition to self-exams, it is also important that you see your dermatologist at least once a year, especially if you are at risk for melanoma. He or she can teach you how to do a self-exam and advise you on how often to do it. Our brochure can be found on our downloads page.

MoleMapCD is an adjunct tool for use in the early detection of melanoma. While it helps you observe and compare changes in your skin, it does not replace visual exams done by your doctor. If you have any doubts or concerns, contact your doctor immediately. Please see our disclaimer statement.

What to look for during a SSE

Moles that develop into melanoma have certain unusual features. They often look different from ordinary moles. During a SSE, check your skin for moles, freckles, sores, lumps, spots, markings, or changes that do not look right—something that just doesn’t match your regular mole pattern. Use "ABCDE” to help you:

Asymmetry: Does one side of the mole look different from the other?

Borders: Is the edge of the mole uneven, notched, ragged or blurred?

Color: Does the mole have different colors on it, such as patchy areas of brown, blue, red, tan, white or gray?

Diameter: Is the diameter of the mole more than a quarter-inch around (about the size of a pencil eraser)?

Evolution: Has the mole changed in size, shape, or color over a short amount of time?

The mole might become scaly or crusty, or it might ooze and bleed. It might feel itchy, tender or painful. It might become red and swollen.

If you see these kinds of changes, contact your doctor immediately.

Some SSE Hints and Tips

The best time to perform a Skin Self-Examination (SSE) is immediately after a shower or bath. It may also be combined with your routine breast examination.

The following will help you perform the SSE:
A private, well-lit room,
A full-length mirror,
A hand mirror,
A small flashlight or penlight,
Your MoleMapCD,
A personal computer running Windows 98SE or above operating system,
A partner (highly suggested)

Saving people from melanoma one patient at a time

Using MoleMapCD during Skin Self-Examinations

How to perform a Skin Self-Examination

What to look for during a SSE

Some SSE Hints and Tips

Saving people from melanoma
one patient at a time