Photographing your moles

Photographing your moles can help you notice new or changing spots over time. Detecting skin cancer early significantly improves treatment outcomes.

During a professional skin check, doctors examine lesions using dermoscopy and may take dermoscopic photographs to document suspicious spots and monitor them for change. In some patients, mole mapping or sequential photography is used to compare images of the skin over time.

While personal photographs cannot replace a clinical examination, carefully taken images can help you recognise changes between skin checks and identify spots that should be assessed by a doctor experienced in skin cancer detection.

Ordinary photographs record the location, size and general appearance of a spot. A dermoscopic attachment reveals finer detail. The MoleScope app can organise images, but an app is not itself a magnifying device.

Taking photos without a magnifying device

Ordinary photographs can help document change, although they do not show the detail needed for a dermoscopic assessment.

This photo was taken using an iPhone 11 with no magnifier. The shape and colour of the mole are visible, but fine details are obscured by wrinkles in the skin and reflected light.

Magnifying devices

A specialised attachment can show more detail, as the comparison below illustrates. Even a clear close-up photograph cannot establish a diagnosis on its own.

To take good quality pictures of your moles or other suspicious spots, we recommend using a magnification device that attaches to the camera of your smart phone or mobile device.

Taking photos using MoleScope

The MoleScope II and MoleScope Lite are lenses that attach to a smartphone and magnify skin lesions. The MoleScope II illuminates the skin with a polarised light. Both are available from the manufacturer MetaOptima.

We recommend that you take photos using the MoleScope app. It will automatically upload your photos to the MoleScope shared medical record.

Photo taken with a MoleScope II

This photo was taken using an iPhone 11 and a MoleScope II. The structure of the mole is clearly visible, showing fine network structures and tiny blood vessels.

The following video refers to the MoleScope app as well as the MoleScope skin magnifier.

How to photograph a mole for monitoring

• Use good, even lighting and keep the image in focus.
• Use a similar distance and angle each time.
• Include a ruler or another size reference and some surrounding skin.
• Record the date and location so you can compare the same spot.

After you’ve taken photos of your spot

If you photographed your spots using the MoleScope app, they will automatically upload to your MoleScope record. You can view them on your phone or tablet via the MoleScope app or on the web at app.molescope.com.

If you used the camera app on your phone, you can import your photos into your MoleScope record. Uploading a photograph does not request a medical review; we no longer offer remote spot assessments. Arrange an appointment if a spot concerns you.