With her fair skin and high number of moles, Helena Alemao — who lives on the Central Coast of New South Wales — knew she should be careful in the sun. “I burn easily and try to wear sunscreen as much as possible. I must admit though, I didn’t always wear it every day.”
The risk of skin cancer came to the forefront of Helena’s mind last year when her dad was diagnosed with melanoma.
“It all happened very quickly. A spot appeared on his arm which, at first, looked like an ordinary pimple. Within a week or two it had become larger, changed in shape (it became ‘odd’ looking) and contained different colours (purple, green, and dark red). He was diagnosed straight away, but it had already spread to the lymph nodes under his arm.
“After undergoing a couple of surgeries — one on his forearm to remove the mole and two later surgeries to remove the lymph nodes in his underarm — and radiation treatment, thankfully, Dad has been given the all clear. For now.”
“Not only did I have fair skin and many moles on my body, but now I also had a family history of skin cancer. I felt really concerned about my own skin health and wanted to take all the necessary precautions I could. My GP recommended that I have a skin cancer check. I’d already heard of MoleMap, so I immediately booked in for a Full Body MoleMap,” says Helena.
“When I arrived at the appointment, I felt vulnerable. I knew I would have to strip down to my underwear and stand in various positions. However, the initial unease was short-lived, as the melanographer made me feel very comfortable.
“She explained exactly what she was going to do and asked if I had any moles that concerned me. I have a few moles that are much bigger than the others, so I pointed these out. As the session got underway, she showed me what she was documenting to relieve any nervousness I might have.
“What really stood out for me was how thorough she was. She checked everywhere — even places you wouldn’t think to look, like the scalp, between the toes and behind my ears.
“Even if you do an at-home skin check, there are places on the body you can’t see. These are the areas that frequently get overlooked. Having a professional full body skin check is the best protection against skin cancer, even if you consider yourself low risk.”
“During my skin check I had 39 lesions documented, which is quite a high number. The photographs of the suspect moles were sent to a dermatologist to review. Within about a week I received my results and was happy (and relieved) to find out everything was clear.
“Even though I was really pleased, I was mindful of the importance of regular skin checks. Now that I’ve had a Full Body MoleMap if I notice any changes I can book in for a free check in between appointments. This is great for peace of mind.
“As part of the Full Body MoleMap session, I learned what I need to look out for with self-checks— such as changes in colour, shape or size. I also now realise that you need to look at parts of the body you might not think to check, particularly the fingernails, toes and soles of the feet.
“Next month is my yearly skin check. They will take new images and compare them with last year’s ones to identify any changes. Rather than feeling nervous about getting an annual skin check, I feel confident I’m taking the best action to protect myself against skin cancer.
