New Smartphone App UM Skin Check Spots Signs Of Skin Cancer
If you see a dermatologist every year to check for skin cancer, like
deadly melanoma, bravo! But experts say that we need to keep tabs on our
skin in between visits, and there’s an app for that! It’s called UM
Skin Check, because it was developed at the University of Michigan. And it uses
your smartphone’s camera to spot the early signs of skin cancer, when treatment
is less invasive, and more successful.
Here’s how it works: The app helps you take a series of 23 photos, which covers your body from head to toe. And it stores the photos in your phone to serve as a baseline for future comparisons.
If the app finds any suspicious moles or lesions, it walks you through a self-exam, and provides pictures of various types of skin cancers for comparison.
It can send automatic reminders so you can monitor any changes over time. And if a mole appears to be changing or growing, the app can share the photos with a dermatologist to help determine whether a biopsy is necessary.
Experts say that getting a skin check more than once a year is especially important for people who are considered high-risk for melanoma.
That’s anyone who has fair skin, burns easily, or has had severe sunburns in the past, as well as people with a family history of melanoma, and anyone who have used a tanning bed even once. Again, it’s called U-M Skin Check, and it’s free.
Here’s how it works: The app helps you take a series of 23 photos, which covers your body from head to toe. And it stores the photos in your phone to serve as a baseline for future comparisons.
If the app finds any suspicious moles or lesions, it walks you through a self-exam, and provides pictures of various types of skin cancers for comparison.
It can send automatic reminders so you can monitor any changes over time. And if a mole appears to be changing or growing, the app can share the photos with a dermatologist to help determine whether a biopsy is necessary.
Experts say that getting a skin check more than once a year is especially important for people who are considered high-risk for melanoma.
That’s anyone who has fair skin, burns easily, or has had severe sunburns in the past, as well as people with a family history of melanoma, and anyone who have used a tanning bed even once. Again, it’s called U-M Skin Check, and it’s free.
