Nervous about your first skin check? Here is what it is actually like

Being nervous is completely normal

Two worries stop most people booking: getting undressed in front of a stranger, and being told something is wrong. Both are worth naming, because both shrink considerably once you know what actually happens in the room.

The undressing part, honestly

For a full body check you undress to your underwear. That is it. There is no gown drama and no surprises. The examination is methodical and businesslike, working through your skin section by section with a dermatoscope. Doctors who do skin checks do them all day, every week. They are looking at spots, not at you. And you choose a male or female doctor when you book, so pick whoever you will be most comfortable with.

Nobody is judging your skin

Sun damage from your twenties, the tattoo, the psoriasis patch, the mole you have picked at. Your doctor has seen all of it thousands of times. The appointment is about finding anything dangerous early, not auditing your life choices. Come as you are, ideally without makeup or fake tan so your skin is easy to see.

What actually happens, in order

The full step by step is on our skin checks page.

And if they find something?

This is the fear that keeps people away, and it has the logic exactly backwards. If a spot is harmless, you find that out and stop worrying. If it is not, finding it now is precisely what you want, because most skin cancers found early are very treatable, often with a straightforward procedure done on site. The scary version of this story is the one where nobody looks.

The whole thing is half an hour

Fifteen to thirty minutes, no referral, free parking, and then it is done and you know where you stand. Most first timers say the same thing afterwards: that was easier than I expected.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you are worried about a spot on your skin, book an appointment with a doctor.