Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Skin checks at home: a routine for melanoma families | CION Cancer Clinics
In a family where melanoma runs, the most useful habit is a skin check once a month, done properly and shared with the people you live with. Most melanomas are first noticed at home, not in a clinic. This page explains what to look for, how to check step by step, why the soles and nails matter in Indian skin, and when a change needs a doctor. At CION Cancer Clinics, our oncologists plan screening and care for families with an inherited cancer syndrome, explained in plain words.
NG
Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
17+specialists on panel
15,000+patients treated
35+centres across Telangana & AP
4.8★ / 800+Google rating
On this page
- Why should a melanoma family check its own skin?
- What signs on the skin should make you look twice?
- How do you check your skin properly at home?
- The terms your dermatologist may use, in plain language
- What a family can check, and what needs a specialist
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things families tell us, and what is actually true
- Common questions about family skin checks
The short answer
Why should a melanoma family check its own skin?
Because most melanomas are first noticed by the person or by someone close to them, not by a doctor. In a family where melanoma runs, a simple skin check once a month catches change early, when treatment is simplest. It costs nothing and needs only good light and a mirror.
Why the family matters, not just the individual
Nobody can see their own back, scalp or the back of their thighs properly. A husband, a sister or a grown-up son can. Families who check each other find more than people who check alone. In Indian skin, the soles of the feet and the nails matter most, and these are the places people forget.
Why routine beats worry
Checking every day makes change harder to see, because you are comparing today with yesterday. Once a month is enough to notice something new. A dated photo of each area gives you something honest to compare with next time, instead of memory.
Self-checks sit alongside specialist skin checks. They do not replace them for relatives at raised risk.What you are looking for
What signs on the skin should make you look twice?
You are not trying to diagnose anything. You are looking for something new, or something that has changed.
The ABCDE signs
A simple checklist used worldwide to decide whether a mole deserves a doctor's look.
- Asymmetry: the two halves do not match
- Border: ragged, blurred or notched edges
- Colour: several shades in one mole
- Diameter: larger than the end of a pencil
- Evolving: any change in size, shape or colour
The odd one out
Most of a person's moles look like each other. A mole that looks different from all the rest, sometimes called the ugly duckling, is worth showing to a doctor even if it passes the checklist.
Nails, soles and palms
In Indian skin, melanoma often starts in places the sun never reaches. These need a deliberate look every time.
- A new dark stripe running along a nail
- Dark colour spreading onto the skin beside a nail
- A dark patch on the sole that is growing
Signs to book a visit soon
A mole or spot that bleeds without being injured, itches persistently, crusts over, or turns into a raised lump. Book an appointment rather than waiting for your next scheduled check.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistStep by step
How do you check your skin properly at home?
Set up
Choose a bright room in daylight. You need a full-length mirror, a small hand mirror and your phone camera. Undress completely, because melanoma can appear under underwear too.
Front, back and sides
Look at your face, neck, chest and belly in the mirror. Turn around and use the hand mirror for your back, or ask a family member to look.
Arms, hands and nails
Check both sides of the arms, the palms, between the fingers and every fingernail. Remove nail polish before you check.
Legs, feet and toenails
Sit down. Check the legs front and back, the soles, between the toes and every toenail. This is the step most people rush.
Scalp, then photograph
Part the hair with a comb, or ask someone to look. Photograph any mole you are unsure about, with the date, and compare next month.
Words you may hear
The terms your dermatologist may use, in plain language
- Self-examination
- Checking your own skin in a set order, so that nothing is missed and change can be compared.
- Ugly duckling sign
- A mole that looks different from the others on the same person. It is a reason to have it checked.
- Nail streak
- A brown or black line running from the base of a nail to its tip. Most are harmless, but a new or widening one needs a doctor.
- Acral
- On the palms, the soles or under the nails. This is where melanoma most often appears in Indian skin.
- Baseline photos
- A first set of pictures of your skin, used as the reference that later checks are compared against.
- First-degree relative
- A parent, brother, sister or child. These are the relatives whose history counts most.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Side by side
What a family can check, and what needs a specialist
A family member can
A specialist is needed to
Spot a new mole or a changed one
Decide whether that mole is harmless
Look at a back, scalp or sole
Examine moles under a lit magnifier
Keep dated photos for comparison
Remove a mole and send it for testing
Notice a new streak in a nail
Take a sample from the nail bed if needed
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether a particular mole is harmless. No checklist, photo or app can do that reliably. If something on your skin worries you, a dermatologist needs to see it in person.
It cannot set your schedule
How often you should see a specialist depends on your family tree, whether a gene fault has been found, and how many moles you have. That is decided by your dermatologist or genetic counsellor. What any gene result in your family means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test.
Who this does not apply to
If one elderly relative had melanoma and nobody else did, you do not need a structured family programme. General awareness of your skin is enough. Young children do not need formal checks either. A parent who knows their child's skin and notices change is doing the right thing already.
Teenagers in a melanoma family can learn the routine themselves. It becomes a habit they carry into adult life.Commonly believed
Four things families tell us, and what is actually true
"It does not hurt, so it cannot be serious."
Early melanoma almost never hurts. Pain is not a useful warning sign. Change in size, shape or colour is the signal to act on.
"A dark line in the nail is just a fungus or an injury."
Often it is. But a new stripe that widens, darkens, or spreads onto the skin beside the nail needs a doctor. An injury grows out with the nail. Melanoma does not.
"Only the relative who tested positive needs to check."
If no gene fault was found, every close relative is still at raised risk and should check. Relatives who tested negative still benefit from knowing their own skin.
"Checking every day is safer than once a month."
Daily checking makes slow change invisible and feeds anxiety. A monthly check with dated photos shows real change far more clearly.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about family skin checks
How often should I check my skin?
Once a month is the usual advice for people with a family history of melanoma. Pick a fixed day, such as the first Sunday of each month, so it becomes routine. Your dermatologist may suggest a different pattern if you have many moles or a known gene fault.
Who in the family should be checking?
Parents, brothers, sisters and children of the person who had melanoma are the ones who matter most. If a gene fault has been found, relatives who test negative for it can usually return to ordinary awareness. Your counsellor will confirm this.
Can I use a phone app to check my moles?
Your phone camera is useful for dated photos. Apps that claim to judge whether a mole is cancer are not reliable enough to trust, and can falsely reassure you. Use the phone to record, and a doctor to decide.
What should I do if I find something?
Photograph it with a coin or ruler beside it for scale, note the date, and book a dermatologist appointment. Do not scratch it, cut it, or apply any cream or home remedy. Bring your photos to the appointment so the doctor can see what has changed.
How do I check my child's skin?
Notice their skin during bathing and dressing, as you already do. You do not need a formal monthly routine for a young child. Mention any mole that is growing fast or looks unusual at the next doctor's visit.
My husband refuses to let anyone check his back. What now?
Many men feel this way. Suggest he takes photos of his own back with a phone timer or a mirror, and reviews them himself. A yearly check by a dermatologist is also easier for some men than a check at home.
Does a monthly self-check replace a doctor's skin check?
No. For relatives at raised risk, a specialist examination at regular intervals is still advised. Self-checks fill the gap between those visits. They are how most changes are first noticed, which is why they matter.
Can I learn the routine in Telugu?
Yes. Ask for the self-examination routine to be explained in Telugu at your counselling or dermatology visit. Many families find it easier when one relative learns it properly and then teaches the others at home.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's oncologists. Bring your family history or genetic report to them.
Our medical oncologists see people with a strong family history of cancer, arrange genetic counselling and testing where it fits, and plan the checks that follow.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Want a specific doctor for your case? Mention them when booking.
Book Free ConsultationBook an appointment with our specialist
Share your name and number — we'll call you back within 30 minutes to schedule your consultation.
Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Skin Cancer Screening (PDQ) - Patient Version
- National Cancer Institute — Common Moles, Dysplastic Nevi, and Risk of Melanoma
- Cancer Research UK — Risks and causes of melanoma
- NHS — Melanoma skin cancer
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Familial melanoma explainedWhat it means when melanoma runs in a familyMelanoma in Indian skin: where it actually appearsWhy soles, palms and nails need a deliberate lookSkin surveillance and dermoscopyWhat happens at a specialist skin checkTotal body photography and mole mappingHow clinic photos track moles over time
Talk to us
Found a mole that has changed?
Tell us what you noticed and when. We will arrange for a specialist to look at it, and explain whether your family needs regular skin checks. One helpline serves every CION centre.