The answer to this simple question can vary:

If you have any suspicious skin lesions, then the time is NOW! Click the “Let’s do it” button.

We recommend performing a thorough self-mole check annually, ideally around your birthday, as it’s easy to remember.

Important note: If you are a high-risk patient with a large number of moles, you might need more frequent mole checks, especially if recommended by your dermatologist.

Our online mole check service allows you to submit high-quality images of your moles through our secure platform. After paying the required fee, our expert dermatologist will review the images, assess the moles, provide an indicative diagnosis, and recommend a treatment plan or follow-up examination, if necessary.

If you are a follow-up patient submitting an image of the same mole later (due to a perceived change or because our dermatologist recommended a follow-up), the new image will be compared with the previous one(s). Based on this comparative analysis, we will provide an indicative diagnosis and recommendations.

No, our online mole check service is not a replacement for a face-to-face dermatology appointment, especially for high-risk and high mole count patients. Our service aims to provide guidance and help those who do not have easy access to in-person medical examinations. We always recommend consulting a dermatologist in person if you have concerns about your skin or moles.

The main differences between an online and an in-person mole check are as follows:

• Professional full-body examination: During an in-person mole check, a doctor or specialist nurse examines the body and determines which skin lesions require further examination. In an online mole check, a layperson makes this decision, potentially missing early-stage malignant lesions. It is crucial to educate yourself on recognizing suspicious lesions.
  
  Palpation of skin lesions: Expert palpation of a skin lesion can provide important information. In an online mole check, only images and relevant medical history are available, and palpation is not possible.
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• Examination of non-pigmented skin lesions: While pigmented skin lesions can be assessed based on images with a high degree of certainty, non-pigmented, pink lesions may present diagnostic challenges. In-person examinations allow dermatologists to stretch the skin and assess shiny edges under dermatoscope light, which is not possible with images alone.
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• Image quality: Dermatologists typically use cutting-edge technology to visualize and assess skin lesions with high quality. During a layperson-led online mole check, image quality can be compromised, potentially affecting the assessment and medical opinion. As emphasized on our website, the quality of submitted images is crucial.
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• Interaction between dermatologist and patient: In-person consultations offer real-time communication, allowing for direct questions and discussion of concerns. Online mole checks may have limited interaction, relying on written communication for questions, concerns, and medical history.

The pricing for our online mole check service is based on the number of moles submitted:

1st mole: £67 GBP
Each additional mole: £20 GBP
Maximum number of moles per submission: 5 (£147 GBP)

For each mole, please provide three images along with answers to questions about the clinical history of each lesion. 
Our mole check service is not subject to VAT. Additionally, there is no price difference between the initial consultation and follow-up consultations with comparative analysis.

Refunds:

We provide refunds under specific circumstances where we deem it impossible to deliver a reliable medical opinion on a skin lesion you have submitted. Reasons may include image quality or the complexity of the case. If you have uploaded only one mole and we cannot assess it, we will issue a full refund. However, if the mole in question is part of a set, we will provide a partial refund.

If poor image quality alone makes it challenging to evaluate a case, we will offer you the opportunity to upload a higher-quality image. Should the subsequent upload remain inadequate, we will discontinue the assessment of that particular mole. In this scenario, we will issue a refund, but a £10 administrative fee will be deducted.

Our dermatologist will typically provide an assessment and recommendations within five business days after receiving your images and payment. If there is a delay due to holidays or other unforeseen factors, patients will be promptly notified.

Answering this question is not straightforward without being able to see and assess the change in an individual mole. However, we can responsibly provide the following guidance:

– Moles do not typically change rapidly due to malignant transformations. If you have just received your assessment and notice a perceived change, it is highly likely that the change is due to an injury or other harmless factors.

– If you believe there may be a change, you can consider submitting a new online assessment. Before doing so, however, we recommend taking a new dermatoscopic image and comparing it to the one you initially submitted. If you can see a change in the dermatoscopic image, a new medical assessment may be necessary. If there is no visible change in the dermatoscopic image, your perception of the change may not be valid.

– Ultimately, if a mole has changed and none of the above guidance has been helpful, you should seek an in-person consultation with a dermatologist for further assessment.

The process of self-examination, identifying the most relevant moles for online medical assessment, and capturing images of these moles are explained in detail during the submission process.

Yes, we take your privacy and data security seriously. We comply with relevant data protection regulations and implement appropriate administrative, physical, organizational, and technical safeguards to protect your personal and medical information. As a global telemedical service, we follow the guidelines of both GDPR (UK and EU) and HIPAA (USA). We conduct regular risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities and threats to the security of our systems. Our data servers are located within the European Union.

If you are not satisfied with our online mole check service, please refer to and follow the instructions outlined in our Terms and Conditions.

Yes, you can use our online mole check service for your children or other family members. Please ensure that you have the appropriate consent and provide accurate information about the patient’s medical history when submitting images on their behalf.

Our online mole check service is available to patients around the world. However, please note that our medical professionals are licensed in the United Kingdom, and their medical opinions may not have the same legal standing in countries where their licenses are not recognized. Our malpractice insurance provides coverage for our services worldwide, but liability risks and implications may vary by country. Please consult local healthcare professionals if you have any concerns.

Our online mole check service is designed to offer guidance and assistance to those who do not have easy access to in-person medical examinations.

Generally speaking, for high-risk patients with a large number of moles, atypical moles, or difficulty identifying outlier “ugly duckling” moles, we recommend an in-person medical consultation.

If you do not have easy access to in-person consultations and only have a few suspicious or changing moles, the online mole check can be a suitable option.

It is crucial to note that the following section describes the possible outcomes of a medical examination, regardless of whether it is in-person or online.

After carefully assessing the images and clinical information submitted by our clients, one of the following outcomes is possible:

– Benign lesion, no further action needed. Examples: benign moles, skin tags, dermatofibroma, seborrheic keratosis, etc. 

– Benign lesion, further action recommended. Example: viral wart.

– Benign lesion, follow-up is needed. Example: atypical mole to assess possible changes. 

– Clinical suspicion of potential malignancy: biopsy (excisional, shave, or punch) is needed to determine the final diagnosis. The degree of this suspicion may vary. Sometimes there is slight suspicion, and we need to exclude potential malignancy, or it could be absolute certainty about the malignant nature of a skin lesion. In either case, the histology result determines the final outcome and next steps.

Important caveats:

There have been cases in dermatology where a skin lesion diagnosed as benign, even by multiple dermatologists, turned out to be malignant eventually. To minimize this risk, submit good-quality images and medical history. Regardless of the indicative diagnosis, if a skin lesion continues to change or grow, it must be re-assessed. Approximately 10% of melanomas can be diagnosed only after comparing before-after images.

There have also been cases where a mole recommended for a 3 or 6-month follow-up was removed by the patient, and the histology confirmed a malignant lesion. We recommend follow-ups when we want to assess the biological nature of the given lesion. So, if it shows a change in size, shape, colour, or pigment structure by the time of the follow-up, we can recommend removal with a higher degree of certainty. It is not viable to recommend surgical removal every time a patient submits an image of an atypical mole. Superficially spreading melanoma grows very slowly, so a 3 or 6-month, or even a one-year follow-up in some cases is within the safe territory and allows timely removal of the lesion if needed. It is the patient’s decision to remove a mole recommended for follow-up, which we do not support. Unnecessary surgical procedures burden both the patient and the healthcare system in many ways.

Our online mole checking service aims to provide professional assessments based on the high-quality images you submit. While our dermatologist has extensive experience in evaluating moles and identifying potential issues, the accuracy of the assessment may be limited by the quality of the images and the inherent limitations of remote examinations.

The accuracy of any diagnostic process depends on the doctor’s experience, the quality of equipment and images, the precision of the medical history submitted by our clients, and the complexity of the case presented.

What do our doctors do to improve diagnostic accuracy? They have more than 20 years of intensive experience with in-person and online mole checks, and they engage in continuous professional development in the field. They also integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning into the diagnostic process (work in progress).

What can our clients do to improve diagnostic accuracy? They can carefully understand and follow the examination process detailed on our website, use high-quality equipment as recommended, and provide detailed medical histories regarding their lesions.

One more important factor is patient compliance. The patient’s willingness to follow recommendations, provide accurate information, and adhere to prescribed treatments can significantly impact the overall accuracy and effectiveness of a medical assessment. We know from our clinical experience that patients often don’t follow recommendations. We have even seen cases where patients diagnosed with melanoma didn’t follow up with the recommended removal, which can have life-threatening consequences.

With our online mole check service, our promise is to strive for excellence in our assessments. In turn, we expect our clients to approach the process with the same level of commitment.

Dr. Bela Horvath, a dermatologist, leads the online mole check service. You can read his bio below. As the service expands and more dermatologists become involved, they will undergo a thorough selection process to ensure they have the appropriate experience and expertise to provide our services. The bios and qualifications of all participating dermatologists will be available on our website.

Determining whether a mole is suspicious and requires further medical investigation is a crucial aspect of self-mole checks. In the case of online mole checks, this important distinction must be made by the layperson – you or whoever is helping you with your mole check.

During an in-person dermatologist-led mole check, every lesion can be quickly examined using a hand-held dermatoscope, and decisions can be made on the spot based on the dermatoscopic image.

For self-mole checks, making this decision is more challenging, as an inexperienced layperson must base their judgment on the macroscopic appearance of the mole. Even though benign skin lesions can mimic malignant tumours, sometimes the most innocent-looking lesion is an early-stage malignant tumour.

As you submit your images, we guide you through this process with explanatory videos and case studies to help you make informed decisions. Here are some basic guidelines:

– Look for the outlier, odd, or ugly duckling lesion: When examining your moles, identify any that differ significantly from the rest (e.g., larger, darker, more asymmetrical) based on the ABCDE rule detailed below. Such moles may need medical attention.

– Look for change: If you notice any skin lesion (dark or reddish/pink/shiny) that is relatively new and hasn’t disappeared spontaneously after a month, it may require medical attention.

– Non-healing skin lesions: If you have a lesion covered by a crust that never heals completely or occasionally bleeds or oozes, it may need medical attention.

Suspicious moles may exhibit changes in size, shape, colour, or texture, or may cause symptoms such as itching, bleeding, or crusting. The ABCDE rule is a helpful guide to identify potentially suspicious moles:

Asymmetry: The two halves of the mole do not match.

Border: The edges are irregular, scalloped, or poorly defined.

Colour: The mole has various shades of brown, black, or other colors.

Diameter: The mole is larger than 5mm (about the size of a pencil eraser).

Evolving: The mole changes in size, shape, or colour over time.

If you notice any of these characteristics in a mole, it is essential to seek further evaluation by a dermatologist.

In some instances, our doctor may recommend a follow-up assessment for a specific skin lesion in 3, 6, or 12 months to evaluate any potential changes. (This is the “E: Evolution” aspect of the ABCDE rule). Observing the biological behaviour of specific skin lesions over time can aid in decision-making. Alternatively, you may notice changes in a previously submitted mole and choose to initiate a re-assessment or comparison yourself.

In either case, the two images will undergo a comparative analysis, and the medical opinion will be based on this comparison. To submit a follow-up case, go to your case history, select the mole you want to re-submit, click the FOLLOW-UP button, and follow the instructions.

Online mole checking can aid in identifying various types of skin cancer, including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and even some rare types like Merkel cell carcinoma. Early detection is essential for effective treatment and improved outcomes.

Yes, you can. However, certain areas, such as the scalp, nails, soles of the feet, fingers, or toes, can be challenging to photograph with sufficient quality. If you can capture high-quality dermatoscopic images using your home dermatoscope, you may submit them for an online medical assessment.

Yes, you can use our online mole checking service to obtain a second opinion on a mole previously assessed by another dermatologist. The assessment process remains the same. You may choose to provide details of the previous diagnosis during the submission of your case, but it is not mandatory.

It’s generally recommended that you perform self-examinations of your skin and moles every month. In addition, you should have a professional skin examination by a dermatologist at least once a year, or more frequently if you have a personal or family history of skin cancer or a high number of moles. We advise everyone to have a mole check to receive a professional individual risk assessment and obtain recommendations for the frequency of mole checks based on their personal risk profile. Generally, we recommend scheduling a yearly mole check around your birthday, as it’s easy to remember. If a mole requires follow-up examination, the dermatologist will provide an interval, typically between 3, 6, or 12 months.

The primary risks associated with our online mole checking service stem from the inherent limitations of remote assessments, which may lead to misdiagnosis or missed diagnoses. To minimize these risks, we encourage users to submit high-quality images of their moles and to seek in-person consultations with a dermatologist if they have a high-risk profile with a large number of moles and atypical moles. 

We may decline the evaluation of a case if the image quality is insufficient or the case is overly complex, necessitating an in-person medical assessment instead. By doing so, we aim to reduce the risks associated with our online mole check service.

If a mole is identified as suspicious through the online assessment, the indicative diagnosis and recommendations for the next steps will be detailed in the medical report. Generally, a suspicious mole needs to be removed or a biopsy taken. The recommended steps depend on the location and size of the lesion. Once the diagnosis from the histology analysis is known, further steps can be planned, but this falls outside the scope of our online mole check service. However, we would appreciate it if you could submit a copy of your histology report so we know that you have taken the necessary steps and we can close your case.

When we recommend surgical removal or biopsy of a suspicious lesion, we inform you in the medical report. If you have any questions, you can contact us. We will send you a reminder email asking for a copy of the histology report after 3 months, so we can close your case. If there is no response, we will send a second and final reminder in another 3 months. After that, we will not contact you again. It is your responsibility to take action based on our recommendation.

As emphasized throughout our website, this online mole check service is not a substitute for an in-person medical examination, particularly for high-risk patients. We encourage individuals with a large number of moles to seek a face-to-face mole check option. For an average person looking to examine one or two suspicious moles, an online mole check can be a convenient alternative, especially from remote locations. Our experience has shown that a 5-mole limit is reasonable, considering the number of moles that may change or become suspicious at any given time.