During your Mole Screen appointment, we will firstly ask you to fill out a questionnaire to determine whether your risk of skin cancer is low, medium or high.

We will then conduct a full body skin cancer check, using advanced dermoscopy, to identify any skin cancers or pre-cancerous skin changes. If you have some lesions that are bothering you, we will look at those first.

For a full body skin cancer check, people need to remove their clothes, except for their underwear. You are most welcome to have a modesty sheet and a nurse or support person with you during the skin check.

One side of the body is checked and then the other. If we detect anything harmful, you may not have to wait to have it removed. We can often remove small skin cancers or lesions as part of your visit. For lesions of greater concern, we might need to do a biopsy to consider what needs to be done. For example, you will need to see a plastic surgeon if the legion is particularly large or melanoma has been detected.  You may also want to discuss the diagnosis with your General Practitioner and seek their advice. With your permission, a summary of every appointment at Mole Screen is shared with your General Practitioner.

At the end of your skin cancer check, we will talk to you about your lifestyle and how you can protect your skin in your everyday activities. We’ll also advise you on how often you need to come for a skin check.

Once we have your skin history and the findings from your examination, we use a Melanoma Risk Assessment tool to establish your risk of skin cancer and determine how often you need to have your skin screened. This tool uses validated data from the New Zealand population.