The skin cancer stuff is real

The first line of defense is you—you can see most moles, scars, flaky patches, or anything else unusual on your skin. If something looks odd, meets one or more of the ABCD criteria for moles (**A**symmetry, irregular **B**order, uneven **C**olor, large **D**iameter) or is new or changed over the past year, ask your doctor or dermatologist to look at it. They may determine that it’s fine, or maybe make a note in your file to keep an eye on it and check again at the next visit. I write notes in my phone of anything I want to ask my doctors, and my list for my derm includes any moles that look odd or are new/changed. But yes, any moles or strange spots in intimate places, you or a partner/spouse will have to look out for, because a doctor may not check there unless you call attention to it. I once discovered two moles between my butt cheeks during a shower (first by touch, then checked with a mirror), so I asked my derm to take a look and she agreed that they needed to be removed. It was a good catch, the biopsy confirmed both were dysplastic (showing abnormal cell growth, i.e., potentially cancerous). Good rule of thumb: anything that shows up where the sun doesn’t shine, ask the doctor to check.