What can I expect at my skin check?
- Meaghan Pilkington
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Australia has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world and more than ⅔ of Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime! Thankfully, 95% of skin cancers can be successfully treated when caught early!
That is where we come in.
At Gawler & Barossa Skin Cancer Clinic we have two doctors and a melanographer who perform skin checks. You do not need a referral to come and see us.
Skin cancer detection and prevention is what we do every day. We are passionate about education and early detection and genuinely want the best outcome for you!
If you have never had a full body skin check it is normal to feel a bit anxious or embarrassed but we can assure you, we do this everyday!
What Happens During a Skin Cancer Check?
A full body skin check is a head to toe examination and takes between 15-30 minutes depending on your skin and how many moles you have.
Firstly we will take a brief medical and family history. It is good to know if there is any skin cancer, especially melanoma, in your family.
We also will ask about your lifestyle, sun exposure and if you wear sun protection. This helps us to assess your risk factors.
Next we will ask you if there are any spots that you are concerned about. Whilst we check your entire body, it’s good for us to know the spots you are concerned about and what is going on with them that is making you worried!
During your skin cancer check you will be asked to get undressed down to your underwear. A sheet to cover up with can be provided if you would like. As practitioners we are not here to judge your body, we are only looking at your spots. You are welcome to bring someone in with you if you are feeling anxious.
Please do not wear makeup or nail polish as it obscures our view of your skin.
We will examine your skin using a dermatoscope. A dermatoscope is a handheld, specialised magnification tool that helps us to see the patterns, blood vessels and features of skin lesions not visible to the naked eye.
We do not routinely check beneath your underwear however we will ask if there is anything you would like us to check.
We check all sun exposed areas as well as those areas which might not see the sun very often like between your toes or behind your ear.
What happens if we find something?
During your examination we may take images of any suspicious lesion. We use software which allows us to take high resolution images through our dermatoscope.
This enables us to monitor and compare lesions and look for changes over time.
We might also recommend a biopsy.
What is a biopsy and what does it involve?
A biopsy is taking a tissue sample and sending it off to a pathologist for analysis.
Sometimes we take a partial biopsy which is a portion of the lesion and other times we take the whole lesion. This is decided by your doctor.
If time allows, we can occasionally offer to perform the biopsy during your skin check appointment, otherwise we will arrange a time for you to come back for the procedure.
Does a biopsy hurt?
A biopsy involves putting local anaesthetic into the lesion, so yes this bit does hurt a little but it goes numb quickly and you don’t feel any pain after that. Once the area is numb, the doctor takes the biopsy and it is sent off to the pathologist. Sometimes these biopsies require stitches. Results can take 10-14 days to return and you will be called with the results. If anything further needs to be done your doctor will discuss your options with you.
How often should I have a skin check?
Most adults, aged over 45, should have a professional skin check annually. There are some exceptions but your practitioner will be able to give you the best advice based on your risk factors.
How do I book an appointment
If you are ready to come and see one of our very experienced skin cancer practitioners you can either call us on (08) 7557 9611 or head to our website
There you can read more about our Doctors and melanographer, see our pricing structure and book in your skin check.
We can’t wait to meet you.
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