Dr. Jerry Brewer, Mayo Clinic
Dermatologist, suggests these guides for skin self-exams:
- A--asymmetry: one side of a mole or dark spot looks different from the other side
- B--border: instead of being circular or oval, the mole has a jagged edge
- C--color: the mole has more than one color, a dark area, a light area or the colors red, white or blue within it
- D--diameter: the mole is larger than 6 mm across, roughly the size of a pencil eraser
- E--evolution: any other changes are noted in the mole, even if the change isn't part of the above. Any itching or bleeding in a mole is also important.
The summer sun can cause a normal mole to change into a malignant one.
Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309
