How to Check Moles at Home: Step-by-Step

Set up the room

Use bright, even light. Have a full-length mirror, a hand mirror, and your phone nearby. If someone you trust can help check your scalp or back, that can make hard-to-see areas easier.

Follow the same path each time

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends checking the body front and back in a mirror, then the sides with arms raised. It also calls out underarms, forearms, palms, fingernails, legs, between toes, soles, neck, scalp, back, and buttocks. ^[1]

That order matters because people often inspect the face and arms but skip the scalp, soles, nails, and back.

Use ABCDE as a note-taking framework

For any spot you want to track, note asymmetry, border, color, diameter, and whether it is evolving. ^[2]

Do not force certainty. "Looks darker than February photo" is better than "probably fine" or "probably melanoma."

Build a photo baseline

Dermela helps you keep comparable photos in one timeline. Try to use the same room, distance, angle, and light. If a spot is hard to find, add a body-area note such as "left upper back" or "right calf near knee."