Mole mapping

We charge approximately 40% of the fee we normally charge for a skin biopsy procedure. No Medicare rebate is payable.

You don’t need a referral for mole mapping or a skin check by a doctor at Spot Check Clinic.

The frequency of mole mapping varies according to the number of moles and the degree of melanoma risk.

You don't need to wait to receive the results of your skin check and mole mapping. Because a doctor is performing your examination, they will inform you immediately if they notice any suspicious spots, lumps or likely skin cancers.

If you've booked a full body skin check in conjunction with your mole mapping appointment, your skin will be examined by an experienced skin cancer doctor and individual moles or lesions will be examined and photographed dermoscopically.

Your photos are stored in MoleScope, a shared medical record accessible to you and the Spot Check Clinic team. You can view your photos using a web browser or the MoleScope app, which also allows you to photograph your own spots and upload them to the shared record.

Mole mapping costs around $150 in addition to the cost of a full body skin check. This is subject to change; the most up-to-date information is available on our pricing page.

Your skin doctor will closely examine any moles or other skin changes detected during mole mapping. If suspicious lesions are detected, we can take a biopsy or perform an excision at our clinic, often on the same day.

Mole mapping can take 20-50 minutes, depending on whether it’s your first session or a follow-up and how many moles you have.

Mole mapping assists in early melanoma detection. It can help identify changes in your spots, and can work as an extra way of highlighting which of your spots or moles might need closer examination or removal.

Mole mapping is the process of photographing and documenting the entire skin surface and all the moles and lesions on it. Mole mapping is not the same as a full body skin examination, where a doctor examines and diagnoses your spots but does not necessarily take comprehensive photographs.

Unless your risk is very low, or you have recently had a full body skin check, we usually recommend you have a full body skin check by an accredited skin cancer doctor.

Mole mapping adds to the cost of a skin cancer check and people often feel uncomfortable being photographed while they are nearly naked, so it's understandable to ask if molemapping is worth the expense and trouble. The answer isn't always straightforward; for some people, regular mole mapping is highly recommended, and for others, it doesn't have significant clinical benefits.

Dysplastic moles were long thought to be precursors to melanoma. But in most cases, they are harmless and never cause any health issues.

If you have a very high risk of melanoma and more than 100 moles, you should consider having mole mapping every year. There is evidence that mole mapping can allow earlier detection of melanoma in high-risk patients and therefore improve the chances of successful treatment.