Dermoscopy?

It's basically a lighted magnifying glass.  Or a lighted loupe if you prefer.  Seems like no need to buy an expensive one.  Most of us just compare skin against photos.  The only time I've used a magnifying glass is when I noticed something that didn't jive with a photo and wanted to compare closer.  Do what makes you comfortable.

It's basically a lighted magnifying glass.  Or a lighted loupe if you prefer.  Seems like no need to buy an expensive one.  Most of us just compare skin against photos.  The only time I've used a magnifying glass is when I noticed something that didn't jive with a photo and wanted to compare closer.  Do what makes you comfortable.

I have found both of my mm's and many sq's and bc's myself. All you need is a strong magnifying glass. If you suspect a lesion to be mm, smear a drop of baby oil on it and look at ot closely with the glass. An insitu mm will often have little dark beads seemingly floating up from below. A more advanced mm will look like the usual pictures on cancer sites with the ABCD's of color, irregular shape, etc. Usually by the time they look like that you don't need magnification to know they are suspicious. Using magnification is most helpful with early lesions that don't yet have the obvious traits. Putting some oil on the lesion (including flat macules) allow you to see a little past the skin's surface. And as I said before, seeing tiny black dots at varying depths is a very good clue for an early biopsy. Both times I was told by the Derm that my insitu was probably nothing but because of many other skin cancers they would play it safe and biopsy. Both times I was right. The moral of the story is don't wait for ant lesion to get big and ugly. However, my very first trip to a Derm, when I had zero experience was for what turned out to be a knarly looking keratosis on my right shoulder. Totally benign. As luck would have the Derm, good that you came inn because the pink bump on your other shoulder is a nice fat basil cell. Thus began my 30 some year journy to the Derm and at least 40 bcc and sq skin cancers. I have has two MOHS procedures and two WLE's and rarely go 6 months without something. I have just completed 6 weeks of Efudex on my scalp and ears to remove precancerous lessions that were too numerous to freeze.  Happily I will be 75 in April and plan to keep on rolling along until I run out of skin or money!  All joking aside, you are smart to know all your moles, etc. Know their sizes, shapes and colorization and go to the Derm when you see obvious changes. Normal skin is usually not shiny. Watch for pearlescent bumps, or bleeding or scaling patches as signs of bcc's or sqc's. They are not as dangerous but can still be an issue. I lost the tip of my nose to a basil cell that was only a tiny bump on the surface but had grown deep and wide beneath.  My graft died and turned black and had to be abraided foir months until it finally healed.  Well this old man has rattled on long enough! But I totally support your belief in a magnifying glass. It won't takes you long to learn what the various types of lesions can look like. Point them out to your Derm and have them explain what you are looking at. With a little practice you will do like me. I point and they snip and I'm rarely wrong.

I have found both of my mm's and many sq's and bc's myself. All you need is a strong magnifying glass. If you suspect a lesion to be mm, smear a drop of baby oil on it and look at ot closely with the glass. An insitu mm will often have little dark beads seemingly floating up from below. A more advanced mm will look like the usual pictures on cancer sites with the ABCD's of color, irregular shape, etc. Usually by the time they look like that you don't need magnification to know they are suspicious. Using magnification is most helpful with early lesions that don't yet have the obvious traits. Putting some oil on the lesion (including flat macules) allow you to see a little past the skin's surface. And as I said before, seeing tiny black dots at varying depths is a very good clue for an early biopsy. Both times I was told by the Derm that my insitu was probably nothing but because of many other skin cancers they would play it safe and biopsy. Both times I was right. The moral of the story is don't wait for ant lesion to get big and ugly. However, my very first trip to a Derm, when I had zero experience was for what turned out to be a knarly looking keratosis on my right shoulder. Totally benign. As luck would have the Derm, good that you came inn because the pink bump on your other shoulder is a nice fat basil cell. Thus began my 30 some year journy to the Derm and at least 40 bcc and sq skin cancers. I have has two MOHS procedures and two WLE's and rarely go 6 months without something. I have just completed 6 weeks of Efudex on my scalp and ears to remove precancerous lessions that were too numerous to freeze.  Happily I will be 75 in April and plan to keep on rolling along until I run out of skin or money!  All joking aside, you are smart to know all your moles, etc. Know their sizes, shapes and colorization and go to the Derm when you see obvious changes. Normal skin is usually not shiny. Watch for pearlescent bumps, or bleeding or scaling patches as signs of bcc's or sqc's. They are not as dangerous but can still be an issue. I lost the tip of my nose to a basil cell that was only a tiny bump on the surface but had grown deep and wide beneath.  My graft died and turned black and had to be abraided foir months until it finally healed.  Well this old man has rattled on long enough! But I totally support your belief in a magnifying glass. It won't takes you long to learn what the various types of lesions can look like. Point them out to your Derm and have them explain what you are looking at. With a little practice you will do like me. I point and they snip and I'm rarely wrong.