To prepare for a full-body skin exam, remove your nail polish, skip makeup, and wear your hair loose so your dermatologist can see your nails, face and scalp. Before the visit, look over your own skin and note any new or changing spots, and write down your personal and family history of skin cancer. Then bring your insurance card, a list of your medications and your completed new-patient forms.
None of this takes long, and it helps your clinician see all of your skin and focus on the spots that concern you. Here is the full checklist, step by step.
Your skin exam prep checklist
- Remove nail polish from your fingers and toes
- Skip makeup and self-tanner
- Wear your hair loose, with no clips or tight styles
- Do a quick self-check and photograph any spots that concern you
- Write down your skin cancer history, your family's history and your sun habits
- Pack your insurance card, photo ID, medication list and new-patient forms
- Jot down the questions you want answered
Remove nail polish and skip makeup
Skin cancer can develop around and under the nails, so a full-body exam includes a look at your fingernails and toenails. Polish, gel and acrylics hide the nail and the skin beneath it. Take polish off the night before. If you wear gel or acrylic nails, call ahead to ask whether you should have them removed, and point out any dark streak or color change you've noticed under a nail.
Makeup can cover small spots on your face, eyelids and lips, which are areas that get a lot of sun. Come with a bare face if you can. If you need to wear makeup on the way, bring remover wipes. It also helps to skip self-tanner for a few days beforehand, since it can change how spots look.
Wear your hair loose, and dress for an easy change
The scalp is easy to miss on your own, and it gets sun, especially along a part or where hair is thinning. Wear your hair down, without buns, clips, tight braids or heavy styling products, so your clinician can part it and see the skin underneath. If you wear a wig or hairpiece, mention it at the start of the exam.
Wear clothes that are easy to take off. For a full-body exam you'll usually change into a gown, and you can typically keep your underwear on. If there's an area you'd rather not have examined, say so. You can also ask whether a chaperone can be in the room.
Do a quick self-check first (photos help)
A few days before your visit, look over your skin in good light. Use a full-length mirror, plus a hand mirror for your back, scalp and the backs of your legs. A partner or family member can help with spots you can't see.
Make a note of any spot that is:
- New since your last exam
- Growing, or changing in shape or color
- Different from your other moles (dermatologists call this the "ugly duckling" sign)
- Itching, bleeding, crusting or not healing
Take a clear, close-up photo of each spot, with a coin or ruler next to it for size. Photos help your dermatologist judge whether something has changed, especially if a spot comes and goes. Our skin cancer screening guide covers the warning signs in more detail.
Write down your personal and family history
Your history helps your dermatologist decide what to look at most closely and how often you should come back. Before the visit, write down:
- Your own skin history: past skin cancers, precancerous spots or biopsies, with dates and where they were done. If they were done at another office, bring the pathology reports if you can.
- Your family history: any parent, brother, sister or child who has had melanoma or another skin cancer.
- Your sun history: blistering sunburns, especially as a child or teen, any tanning bed use, and outdoor work or hobbies.
- Other health details: an organ transplant or medicines that weaken the immune system, since these can raise skin cancer risk.
Bring your insurance card, medication list and forms
Pack these the night before:
- Insurance card and photo ID. Bay Ridge Dermatology accepts most insurances, including Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, United, Medicare, Oxford, Empire and Humana. Whether a skin exam is covered depends on your plan, so check with your insurer or call the office before your visit. Our insurance page has more detail.
- A medication list. Include prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, supplements and any creams you put on your skin. Some medicines make skin more sensitive to the sun.
- Your new-patient forms. If this is your first visit, filling out the new-patient forms ahead of time means less paperwork at check-in.
- Your notes and photos from your self-check.
What happens during the exam
You'll change into a gown, and your clinician will check your skin from head to toe. That includes your scalp, face, ears, neck, chest, back, arms, hands, legs and feet, plus places that are easy to miss: between your fingers and toes, the soles of your feet and your nails. Many dermatologists use a dermatoscope, a handheld magnifier with a light, to get a closer look at specific spots.
MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine's health site, says the exam itself takes about 10 to 15 minutes. If a spot needs a closer look, your dermatologist may recommend a biopsy, which removes a small sample for a lab to examine. Bay Ridge Dermatology performs shave biopsies in the office. For the rest of a first visit, from check-in to next steps, see what to expect at your first visit.
Questions to ask before you leave
- Did you see anything that needs a biopsy or a follow-up visit?
- Are there spots I should watch at home, and what changes should I look for?
- Based on my history, how often should I have a full-body skin exam?
- If I had a biopsy, how and when will I get the results?
- What sun protection makes sense for my skin and my routine?
- Should anyone in my family get checked?
Write the answers down before you leave the room, so you have them when you get home.
If a spot is changing fast or bleeding, book sooner
A routine skin exam is planned ahead, but some spots shouldn't wait for it. See a dermatologist promptly if a spot:
- Is growing or changing quickly
- Bleeds without an injury
- Is a sore that won't heal, or heals and keeps coming back
- Looks very different from your other moles
Many spots that get checked turn out to be harmless. Still, a changing spot is worth a look soon rather than months from now. Bay Ridge Dermatology offers same-day appointments, though availability varies, so call to ask what's open.
Getting a skin exam in Bay Ridge
Bay Ridge Dermatology is at 515 84th Street, 1st Floor, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn (11209). The office is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It sees patients of all ages, from children to older adults.
When you're ready, you can book online or call (347) 497-4984. Bring your list, your photos and your questions, and we'll take it from there.
This article is general information, not medical advice. For advice about your own skin, see a dermatologist.