Step 1: Know Your Great

• If you see something new, changing, or unusual about your skin, lips, mouth, throat, or finger and toenails make an appointment to see your doctor or a dermatologist.
• Take a photo of any mark with a pen tip or a ruler next to it to track its size and appearance.

What to Look For

• Growths: A growth may be suspicious if it increases in size and appears pearly, transparent, multi-colored, tan, brown, or black.
• Moles: If you see changes in a birthmark or brown spot, it might be a red flag. Look for increases in size, thickness, changes in color or texture, or if it is bigger than a pencil eraser.
• Sores: Note sores that continue to hurt, itch, scab, crust, or bleed. If you have an open sore that does not heal within three weeks, make an appointment to see a doctor.
• Cracked or discolored finger or toenails: Cracked or discolored finger or toenails could be a sign that something is wrong.

What to Examine

• Face: When it comes to your face, pay special attention to your nose, lips, mouth, and ears.
• Scalp: Use a blow dryer and a mirror to thoroughly inspect your scalp. If you have someone to help you, even better!
• Hands: Inspect your palms and the backs of hands, plus, between your fingers and under the fingernails. Also examine your wrists and both the front and back of your forearms.
• Arms: Stand in front of a full-length mirror and scan all sides of your upper arms. Then raise your arms to check out your underarms.
• Torso (chest, back, abdomen): Study your neck, chest, back, abdomen, and torso. If need be, lift your breasts to view the undersides.
• Upper back: Facing away from a full-length mirror, use a hand mirror to inspect the back of your neck, shoulders, upper back and any part of the back of your upper arms you could not view when examining your arms.
• Lower back. Scan your lower back, buttocks, and the back of your legs using a full- length mirror and a hand mirror.
• Legs: Sit down and prop a leg on a stool. Use a hand mirror to examine your genitals. Then check the front and sides of both legs, thigh to shin.
• Feet: Examine your ankles and feet, including soles, toes and unpolished toenails.

Step 1: Stand in front of a mirror with shoulders straight and arms on your hips. Look for:

• The usual size, shape, and color of your breasts
• Evenly shaped breasts

If you see any of the following changes, share them with a doctor:

• An inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out) or a nipple that has changed position
• Swelling, rash, redness, or soreness
• Skin that is dimpled, puckered, or bulging

Step 2: Raise your arms and look for any of the changes you looked for in Step 1.

Step 3: Looking down (and also using the mirror), look for any signs of a milky, watery fluid or blood coming out of either nipple.

Step 4: Lie down. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together, and create a circular motion, about the size of a quarter.

Use your left hand to feel the entire right breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage. Then repeat, using your right hand on your left breast.

To make sure you examine the whole breast, create a pattern. You can begin at the nipple and move outward or you can move in rows vertically – whatever is most comfortable.

Make sure you feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts.

• Use light pressure for the skin and tissue just beneath.
• Use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts.
• Use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you’ve reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your ribcage.

Step 5: Stand or sit and repeat the process. Examine your breast, using the same hand movements described in Step 4.

The best time for you to examine your testicles is during or after a bath or shower, when the skin of the scrotum is relaxed.

Step 1: Hold your penis out of the way and examine each testicle separately.

Step 2: Holding one testicle, use your thumb and forefingers of each hand to gently roll it between your fingers.

Step 3: See a doctor right away if you notice any of these symptoms:

• Hard lumps
• Smooth or rounded bumps
• Changes in size or consistency
• Pain

You should not feel any pain when performing the self-exam. Be aware of any dull soreness or heaviness.

Women aged 40 to 74 at average risk should schedule a breast mammogram every two years. It’s a crucial step in catching issues early (99% survivable, ACS SEER data) — and we know how important that is!

High-risk women or those with dense breast tissue might need a breast MRI alongside mammograms. Just a heads up—MRIs can sometimes give false alarms, so they’re not for everyone. 

Women 21 to 65 should get a Pap smear test every three years. So, giddy up and make your cervical health a priority!

Ladies 30 to 65 should consider adding an HPV (Human Papillomavirus Virus) test with their Pap every five years for extra peace of mind, as this virus can wreak havoc — causing not just cervical cancer but genital warts and the culprit of most anal cancers.  

Adults 45 to 75 should regularly get screened for one of the few preventable cancers – colon (AKA colorectal) cancer. Talk to your doc about scheduling a colonoscopy, CT colonography, or fecal tests. The choice and frequency depend on individual risk factors, but only a colonoscopy can remove polyps before they can become cancerous.  

Adults 50 to 80 with a history of heavy smoking should get an annual lung scan (low-dose CT). If you smoke now or quit in the last 15 years, this one’s for you! 

Men 55 to 69 should discuss the pros and cons of PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests with their doc as there are some new findings about overdiagnosis or false reassurance to consider. A PSA test may detect prostate cancer early and be life-saving, so it’s worth considering!  

No specific age guidelines here, but keep an eye on your skin. If you notice any new, growing or unusual spots, see your doctor or dermatologist pronto!