How Often Should Floridians Get A Full Body Skin Cancer Check?

Living in the Sunshine State offers year-round warm weather and outdoor fun. However, all that sunshine exposes your skin to high levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Over time, UV damage builds up, significantly raising your risk of developing skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. 

Protecting your skin goes beyond wearing sunscreen; it also requires regular skin cancer screenings.

Keeping your skin safe is our top priority at Florida Dermatology Associates, with offices in Palm Bay, Melbourne, Cocoa Beach, Cocoa, and Titusville, FL. 

Here’s what our team, led by board-certified dermatologist Ruben Moreno, MD, wants you to know about skin cancer screenings.

Standard recommendations for skin checks

For most adults, we recommend a full-body skin cancer screening once a year. During your annual exam, our team establishes a baseline for your skin, making it much easier to spot new or changing moles at future visits.

Skin cancer affects one out of every five Americans in their lifetime. Fortunately, when caught in its earliest stages, skin cancer is highly treatable. During an annual screening, our team examines you from head to toe, checking areas you can't easily see yourself, such as your scalp, back, and the areas behind your ears.

Why some Floridians need checkups more often

While a yearly checkup works well for many, Florida’s intense sun means some residents face a higher risk. Our team often recommends scheduling exams every three to six months if you fall into certain high-risk groups. 

You may need more frequent visits if you have any of the following:

• A personal or family history of skin cancer: Having skin cancer once increases the chance of developing another lesion down the road.
• A history of frequent sunburns: Severe sunburns, especially during youth, double your lifetime risk for melanoma.
• Numerous or atypical moles: Having more than 50 ordinary moles, or several unusual-looking moles, places you at higher risk. 
• Fair skin, light hair, or light eyes: Lighter skin tones have less natural melanin protection against harmful UV rays.
• Heavy outdoor sun exposure: Living an active outdoor lifestyle, working outdoors, or spending a lot of time on the water increases cumulative sun exposure.

If you are unsure where you fall on the risk spectrum, our specialists evaluate your medical history and lifestyle to create a custom screening schedule.

Spotting changes between your visits

Professional skin checks are essential, but monthly self-exams help you stay proactive between appointments. We encourage you to inspect your skin regularly using the ABCDE guidelines:

• Asymmetry: One half doesn't match the other half of the spot.
• Border: The edges are irregular, ragged, or blurred.
• Color: The color isn't uniform and includes varying shades of brown, black, pink, red, or blue.
• Diameter: The spot measures larger than 6 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser), though some melanomas start smaller.
• Evolving: The spot changes in size, shape, color, or height over time, or starts bleeding, itching, or crusting.

If you notice a new mark or an existing spot that's evolving, don't wait for your annual checkup. Contact our team right away so we can look at your skin.

Contact the office most convenient to you to schedule an appointment today.