Check your skin at the end of summer
Video in Spanish · subtitles available
Summer is ending and our skin holds the memory of the sun. I explain, in a video, how to check your skin after summer: the ABCDE rule for moles, the 'ugly duckling' trick, and the warning signs that sometimes aren't a dark mole… and why it's worth not waiting.
Sun damage accumulates over a lifetime, and the end of summer is a good time to observe your skin. In this video I explain, in simple terms, what to look for.
Don't only look for dark moles: in addition to melanoma, there are more common skin cancers (basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma) and precancerous lesions such as actinic keratoses, which can look like a wound that won't heal, a crust that keeps coming back, or a rough patch. For moles, I go over the ABCDE rule (asymmetry, border, colour, diameter and — above all — evolution) and the 'ugly duckling' rule, and I remind you to check the areas we tend to forget (scalp, back, palms, soles, between the fingers, and around the nails).
Self-examination is useful but it does not replace a professional check-up: it is advisable to have your skin reviewed at least once a year, and not to wait if something changes. The goal is not to be afraid of every mole, but not to let the one that matters go unnoticed.
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Doctor Florian A. Vallecillo Cabrera
The doctor on video
Informational content by Doctor Florian A. Vallecillo Cabrera. It does not replace an in-person consultation or an individual diagnosis.
