Preventive care is a crucial part of skin health.The earlier you notice something, the easier it is to solve.

In fact, the estimated five-year survival rate drops drastically as skin cancer—likemelanoma—has the opportunity to spread. Survival rates are:

Dermatologists like myself typically recommend skin checks once a year if you are at high risk of skin cancer. COVID-19 delayed yearly skin checks for many.

The earlier you notice something, the easier it is to solve.

Missed Appointments

I saw a drop in patients getting their yearly skin checks during the pandemic. The challenges we faced included:

Mainly because of the last point, many of my patients missed over two years of appointments. This is a considerable gap between appointments, especially when you consider that it’s common for people at high risk for skin cancer to do a biopsy every six months or a year.

At-Home Skin Checks Between Appointments

At-home skin checks are a great option for those unable or unwilling to come into the office. To do an at-home skin check, follow these steps:

If you see something, don’t wait.

If you can have someone help you check your skin, that is a great option, too. I can’t tell you how many times someone comes in with something circled on their back that their partner spotted, and it’s melanoma. If you see something, don’t wait.

Preventive Procedures

If you’re considered at high risk for developing skin cancer, you may also be eligible for medications to help prevent you from developing cancer.

Speak Up

If you call to make an appointment and the schedule is pretty far out, share your concerns with the receptionist. If there is something genuinely worrisome, the office does their best to schedule you in for at least a quick consult to make sure the issue isn’t something potentially serious that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

When in doubt, overshare. You can never tell your healthcare provider too much information. That little detail could be a determining factor in catching something early.

3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UCLA Health.Skin cancer prevention.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for melanoma skin cancer.American Cancer Society.Living as a basal or squamous cell skin cancer survivor.

3 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UCLA Health.Skin cancer prevention.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for melanoma skin cancer.American Cancer Society.Living as a basal or squamous cell skin cancer survivor.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

UCLA Health.Skin cancer prevention.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for melanoma skin cancer.American Cancer Society.Living as a basal or squamous cell skin cancer survivor.

UCLA Health.Skin cancer prevention.

American Cancer Society.Survival rates for melanoma skin cancer.

American Cancer Society.Living as a basal or squamous cell skin cancer survivor.

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