Full-Body Skin Check & Lesion Log

Clinical Guideline Protocol • American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)

Mole & Skin Tracker

https://moletracker.org

Patient Name: ___________________________________

Exam Date: _________________ [ ] Self [ ] Partner

Monthly Skin Self-Examination Protocol

Reviewed by Anna Brown, MSc • Based on American Academy of Dermatology guidelines

Doctor-Ready Sheet

Exam Completion: 0 of 5 steps checked

1. The 5 Steps of a Full-Body Skin Check:

Step 1: Head, Scalp, Ears, & Face (Zones 1 & 2)

Examine your face, ears, neck, lips, eyelids, and nose in front of a mirror. Use a blow dryer and a hand mirror to part your hair into sections and thoroughly inspect your scalp.

Step 2: Hands, Forearms, & Underarms (Zones 6 & 7)

Carefully inspect palms, backs of hands, under fingernails, between fingers, and both sides of your forearms. Bend elbows to examine outer arms, and raise arms to check armpits.

Step 3: Chest, Torso, & Abdomen (Zones 3, 4 & 5)

Scan your clavicles, sternum, breasts, under the breast tissue (especially important for women), abdomen, flanks, and the genital region in good lighting.

Step 4: Upper Back, Lower Back, & Buttocks (Zones 8 & 9)

Turn your back to a full-length mirror and hold a hand mirror to inspect the nape of your neck, shoulders, upper back, lower spine, and buttocks. (A partner can help review this area).

Step 5: Legs, Feet, Soles, & Between Toes (Zones 10, 11 & 12)

Sit down and inspect the front and back of thighs, knees, calves, ankles, tops of feet, soles, between each toe, and beneath toenails (checking for dark pigment bands).

2. Anatomical Check Zones & Body Mapping

Reference for spot logging below

1 Scalp & Hairline

2 Face, Nose, Lips, Ears

3 Anterior Neck & Clavicle

4 Chest & Under-Breasts

5 Abdomen & Navel

6 Upper Arms & Underarms

7 Forearms, Palms, Nails

8 Upper Back & Shoulders

9 Lower Back & Buttocks

10 Anterior Thighs & Knees

11 Posterior Thighs & Calves

12 Soles, Heels & Toes

Tip: Note the Zone # in the observation table below whenever you detect a mole or spot that requires ongoing tracking.

3. The ABCDE Criteria for Suspicious Lesions:

Asymmetry

One half doesn't match the other

Border

Edges irregular, notched, blurred

Color

Variegated, black, pink, or red

Diameter

> 6 mm (pencil eraser size)

Evolving

Changing size, shape, or itch

4. Suspicious Spot Observation Log (Doctor Intake Sheet)

Print and hand to your dermatologist

Record any lesions displaying ABCDE characteristics, recent changes, or bleeding to review at your next clinical consultation:

Zone # & Spot	Date Noticed	Observed ABCDE Signs	Size (mm) & Color	Doctor Findings / Biopsy
Zone ___: _________	_____ / _____ / 2026	[ ] A [ ] B [ ] C [ ] D [ ] E	Size: _____ mm • Color: _____	[ ] Benign [ ] Monitor [ ] Biopsy
Zone ___: _________	_____ / _____ / 2026	[ ] A [ ] B [ ] C [ ] D [ ] E	Size: _____ mm • Color: _____	[ ] Benign [ ] Monitor [ ] Biopsy
Zone ___: _________	_____ / _____ / 2026	[ ] A [ ] B [ ] C [ ] D [ ] E	Size: _____ mm • Color: _____	[ ] Benign [ ] Monitor [ ] Biopsy
Zone ___: _________	_____ / _____ / 2026	[ ] A [ ] B [ ] C [ ] D [ ] E	Size: _____ mm • Color: _____	[ ] Benign [ ] Monitor [ ] Biopsy

5 Rules Before Your Full-Body Dermatologist Exam:

Remove nail polish & acrylics: Dermatologists must check the nail matrix for longitudinal pigmented streaks (subungual melanoma).
Avoid makeup, BB creams, or foundation: Clear facial skin is necessary to assess subtle actinic keratoses and basal cell carcinomas.
Wear your hair loose: Hairpins, tight ponytails, or hair extensions can obscure suspicious scalp lesions.
Prepare your family history: First-degree relatives with cutaneous melanoma increase personal risk by 200–300%.
Bring your photographic history: Use Mole & Skin Tracker (App Store ID: 6755881207) to show side-by-side evolution photos to your doctor.