What to expect from a skin-check visit?

 A skin check from a skin specialist in Karachi is an important part of your melanoma prevention checklist. If you’ve never had a skin check before this will help you know about what happens in the visit. It is said that the earlier you find skin cancer, the easier it is to treat it successfully. Both skin self-examinations and professional skin exams are useful for detecting skin cancers early, including melanoma, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Dermatologists or skin specialists have special training and experience that includes the diagnosis and management of skin cancers. When you see a skin specialist for a complete skin checkup, you should expect a 10-15-minute visit, including a review of your medical history and a head-to-toe skin examination too. 

If you have gone for a full-body, head-to-toe exam, you will be asked to remove your clothes and sometimes undergarments, in exchange for a gown. Approximately, your full body skin exam will take approximately 10 minutes, sometimes longer if your skin tends to have more moles than normal. In most of the common cases, the doctor will use a hand-held dermatology, which probably is similar to a flashlight, to magnify and illuminate the layers of your skin. This helps them to get a closer look at your skin.

The specialist may start with your scalp, carefully moving your hair around to gain a closer look. You need to believe that “hidden melanomas” are often found in unexpected areas like the scalp, behind the ears, soles of the feet, under nails, palms of the hands, and even the groin area. This is why you should consider it normal for your dermatologist to inspect every inch of your body, which will include beneath your underwear if you were permitted to leave any on under your gown. 

 A medical assistant may join the dermatologist during your exam to help ensure everything is properly documented in your medical record along with making sure that the checkup is going fine. Photographs might be taken and securely stored in your medical chart to compare it with your future condition. This is probably one of the best times to ask about any spots you are worried about or any doubts you have; your dermatologist can educate you about what to look for, such as any changes in the size, color, borders, or even shape of a mole.

Your dermatologist may identify an area that requires special treatment and will generally take care of any minor procedure right after completing your skin exam. The two most common treatments that your dermatologist/ skin specialist can give you are: 

Cryotherapy

This includes a quick spray of liquid nitrogen which is used to freeze and destroy skin growths or patches that do not look like the skin around them. You can ask your doctor for their post-treatment recommendations and follow up protocol too if necessary or needed. 

Skin biopsy

 Under this treatment a sample of skin will be removed and sent to a laboratory for further examination under a microscope, to diagnose or rule out any diseases or issues of the skin. There are different ways to perform a biopsy and some may require stitches as well. However, you can ask your doctor why a biopsy is being done and which procedure they will be using.