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Add a FREE Summer Skin Check to Your To-Do List

Posted on July 19, 2017

For your overall health and the health of your skin, we advise regular full body skin examinations. Skin checks are especially important for those who spend significant amounts of time in sunny Florida.

A full body skin examination is useful to identify potentially harmful lesions, such as skin cancers or pre-cancers. Early detection is key for early treatment, since the vast majority of skin cancers are curable when detected early. Skin cancers do grow over time. Some skin cancers can travel to other parts of the body. Some, like melanoma, can spread quickly and be very dangerous to your life and health.

Regular full body skin examinations are highly recommended if:

• you have a personal history of skin cancers or pre-cancers
• family history of melanoma
• or if you have multiple moles, congenital nevi (moles that were present at birth), history of “dysplastic” (or atypical) moles, or significant history of sun exposure.

When you come to us for your full body skin examination, for your comfort and convenience we usually ask you to put on a gown. Here are some tips for you to best prepare for your next full body skin exam:

• To ensure we can thoroughly examine your face, it would be ideal if you can come in without makeup.
• It would be preferred that you do not have any fingernail or toenail polish on, so we can check for any lesions under your nails.
• In addition, it would be best not to have a lot of hairspray on if possible, so we can readily look through your scalp.

During your full body skin examination, your dermatology provider also evaluates for signs of sun damage and recommends sun protective measures. We at The Woodruff Institute of Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery are looking forward to seeing you at your next full body skin examination!

Now through 8/31/17, we are offering FREE skin cancer screenings in our Fort Myers location. Pre-registration is required. New patients only.