Skin Exam

Has anyone had a full body skin exam? Do tell!

Yup, many times. Often the staff caters to your modesty. Don't let them. Insist the doctor looks at every inch of your skin. I'm a melanoma survivor. Half assed doesn't cut it.

Once a year.

I make a skin exam every year, but I have to take off only my shirt. If I have seen something on other parts of the body, I say it. I must first put my shirt again and after I can lower my trousers, and, only if necessary, my boxer briefs.

Yes, it was very simple. I was getting a mole and two small skin tags removed. Female nurse took my history and gave the areas (arms and neck) a quick look. The doctor came in, excused her, and then had me strip down to my briefs and stand on a little stool while he looked up and down.

It took about 5 minutes. Then while I was turned around he lifted the top of my briefs and pulled them down over my butt slightly, used a penlight to look down briefly. Then he had me turn around, lifted the front of my briefs away from my body and looked at my penis and testicles with the penlight on. Then pulled them down to the top of my penis, gave the top area of where my pubic hair a quick look, then pulled them up.

By the time I realized what was happening, it was over. I put back on my pants, the nurse came in with some injections to numb the area, and they sliced them off.

Not going to find this again, an older gay male doctor who met you, no nurse, directed you into the exam room where you took off everything and during part of the exam, you lay on an exam table while he went down your body with a bright standing light and magnification equipment. Absolutely every inch was examined.

I have to go every six months. I have been for a skin exam three times before but nothing thorough, all I had to do is take my shirt off. I have only seen my dermatologist once before because of the way they set the appointments up, I've seen her PA-C twice but she is no longer there.

I go later today for another skin exam with my dermatologist so I will see how it goes today.

Skin cancer doesn't differentiate body parts. An upper torso only exam is about 1/2 useless. Please consider that Bob Marley died from a melanoma on the bottom of his foot.

By the time I realized what was happening, it was over. I put back on my pants, the nurse came in with some injections to numb the area, and they sliced them off.

For a second, I thought the nurse gave you the injections, then sliced your pants off! :-)

This was a great description of your exam process. One of these times I'll do a full-body skin exam, a more thorough ones than the ones I get in Scottsdale at the free skin-cancer screenings.

I used to have to go for full body skin checks every 6 months. My doctor noted one abnormal looking mole/freckle on my chest. So I had to see the dermatologist about it and have the cells tested. They said the cells were abnormal, but not cancerous. They decided to remove it anyways.

With my extremely fair skin, they decided I needed frequent skin checks. Eventually they lowered it to once a year. At this point I've stopped going because I really don't feel it's necessary. As a teenager it was dreadful having to get naked every few months for the dermatologist and have every inch of my body inspected for moles. :/

No I never had a skin exam. But maybe in the future.

Brooklyn as much as you don't think you need to attend I can assure you that you should continue to see a dermatologist; especially because of that freckle that you had removed. Ask anyone who has had a brush with melanoma and they will instill upon you the importance of regular skin checks. So I do hope you reconsider as your complexion puts you more at risk.

I love my skin exams, if done correctly.

One doc had me hold the small paper sheet on my mid section, and forcefully told me there was no need to look under it. I was more afraid of her sudden shift in demeanor and allowed her to skip that part.

I then found another skin doc, her nurse told me "do NOT remove your shorts, but please take off your shirt, pants and socks, the doc wants to do a complete check on you today." Little did she realize but I was not wearing shorts! 😉 anyway, when the skin doc came in she told me she would start at my scalp and work down.... about 30 seconds later I asked if she mind I remove the paper drape. She was fine, so off it came. I spent the next 20-30 minutes in her exam room completely naked. We talked about the findings and my concerns, she even did a nail scrape on my toe while I remained naked. I would do that exam on a monthly basis!

I am a melanoma survivor, stage 0 (completely localized within the mole). For the first 2 years, I had full body checks every 6 months and many more biopsies than prior. Now I'm at once a year. This is why I'm very adamant about skin exposure at the doctor and nudity at the dermatologist. It's not erotic, I DON'T WANT TO DIE!

RN, the other reason why I've stopped going is that I no longer have insurance that covers enough of the costs for what I can afford. At this point I only go to the doctor if it's absolutely essential. Unless I spot something new on my body that should be investigated, I can't justify putting forth money for the biyearly or yearly checks anymore. :/

@ Brooklyn Well I sorry to hear that your insurance no longer covers the cost of all your medical needs, so I understand fully. You just have to be more vigilant and observant which I know is the case.

Brooklyn, there are some derm docs that offer free exams, usually around May time frame, check your area and sign up for one. If they find anything important they can refer you. Check the academy of dermatology website aad.org, I believe.

Thank you Jhg! I'll definitely be sure to check it out when that time rolls around! 😃

Dermatologists differ a lot on how much they examine and how. I went to one or two male dermatologists who had me take only my shirt off and looked nowhere else when I was younger. Now I see a dermatology assistant at a larger clinic where a full skin exam means stripping down completely and putting on a gown. I am never totally exposed as she moves the gown to view only a part at a time. The most exposure occurs when she has me lie on my stomach and she opens the entire gown up to view my backside from head to feet as I lie facedown on the table. Even the quick look at the genital area is no more than a fast flip of the gown up in the front.

Usualy - as I love to stay naked in the sun - I have my complete skin exam every year!

Then every "corner" of my body has to be examed - so I prefer to strip down to my "birthday suit" right at the beginning of that exam. No big deal anymore for me!

I've previously posted some of my dermatologist experiences here. But basically, for a full body skin exam, I strip completely including underwear off, then she looks over every inch of my skin. And my doctor isn't shy about checking my genital and rectal area either. All of this is done under the watchful eye of her female nurse.

Have you, or would you, tell your dermatologist that you tan in the nude? If so, do you think you would be more likely to get a 100% check?

Tanning is awful for your skin. It substantially increases your chances of getting skin cancer. Regardless of the exam, you NEED to tell the dermatologist about it.

The aristocracy of the pre-1900's had it right. FAIR SKIN was better than tans.

The aristocracy of the pre-1900's had it right. FAIR SKIN was better than tans.

The fair skin of those times was a reflection of the fact that people who had to labor and work for a living, often did so outdoors, in often wretched conditions of either rain or burning sun ... but there was something oddly incoherent about this idea since factory workers hardly ever saw any sunlight but their occupation was never considered with any envy. So the moneyed classes had fair skin, but factory workers were considered to have pallid skin. A subtle distinction in the choice of adjectives but important in the minds of people back then since it didn't really denote anything about skin tone as such, but was more about leisure time and being affluent enough not to have a wive work outside the house, or preferably a wife who only needed to supervise the household staff.

This reminds me that my grandmother's house used to have dark, stained windows, to keep the already scarce and infrequent sunlight out of the house. Those were the days of gloomy interiors, dark curtains, windows in red or green tinted glass ... maybe it helped with skin cancer, but it can't have been much good for people with a depressive nature. It's enough to turn one gloomy.

But then conversely enough, all this sitting inside and working in factories around the end of the 19th century gave rise to a new philosophy about the body: FKK or nudism. In reaction to unhealthy city living, the German Freie Korper Kultur promoted exposing the whole body to the sun and to outdoor swimming, expressly to counteract the dearth of sunlight and fresh air that was so prevalent a lifestyle.

I had one this month. I went on for a single mole check on my back and the doctor came in and said that she is doing a full body, head to toe skin exam today. I got into a gown and lasted down on the table.

When she got to my chest, she pulled the gown down to expose my breasts and looked for a bit. She then lifted and maneuvered each breast to check the outside. Then she put my gown back up and then pulled the gown from the bottom up , exposing my genital area and pulled it up to my breasts again. She checked underneath my breasts and moved them around.

The genital check was quick. She had me spread my legs so she could check my thighs and between my legs. She asked me to then lay on my stomach to check my back. The gown was open the whole time, exposing my butt to her and her nurse. She checked my butt and gently, but briefly pulled my cheeks apart for a quick peek.

This was the most through check I've received. She wants me back in 6 mo. Yes, ma'am!

Yes I have had a skin exam before . It was one summer at a local hospital . I was curious to what these exams were like . It was a Saturday and mid-day. A nurse took me to an exam and told to undress completely and put the gown on. I sat on the exam table waiting for the doctor. A knock on the door then a female doctor entered . After a few questions she started the exam . I laid back on my back as she checked my ears then scalp . Then my face and shoulders . Then I was told to raise my hands and the gown was folded at my waist . From my shoulders I was checked to my fingers on the left side then the right side . Now the doctor ran her hands across my chest to my abdomen . At that point I began to get an erection. She had me put my arms thru the gown sleeves again. Parting my legs a bit starting at my feet her exam continued up my legs. Her hands finally were on my inner thighs . The doctor had me roll over now . Over my shoulder blades then down my spine . She stopped at my low back then came up my posterior legs. I reached back and parted my cheeks for inspection. Lastly she was her hands and gloved up . I stood before her as she raised my gown exposing my erection. Taking a seat on a stool she examined me genitals.

I’ve been getting skin exams for over 50 years. In all that time I’ve only had one provider look at genital area, a female PA. None of the MDs or NPs even asked if I wanted them to check the area. They only asked if I had any other “concern”. I’ve even mentioned a rash there still no “let’s take a look” just seems like female providers just don’t want to bother. I even have family history of melanoma.

Being extremely fair skinned, I joke that I glow in the dark, melanoma killing family members, YES, I definitely receive extremely thorough full body skin checks. Tanning, couldn’t if I wanted to. As for skin tanning products, UHM… HFN, Hell Fucking No!

Dermatologist I see is pretty thorough. First time I saw her was in September for a full body skin check and to have a couple growths looked at. Growths turned out to be a skin tag and a cyst which were both removed. We decided at that point that due to my skin type that it would be wise for me to go every 6 months to get checked, so I just saw her again a couple weeks ago. The exam went pretty much like it did in September, just no weird growths to look at this time.