Not entirely. During a full body skin cancer check, you usually undress to your underwear. Each of our rooms has a curtain for privacy when changing. A modesty blanket is available for your comfort or you are welcome to bring your own scarf, long dress or small blanket (our beautiful Sunshine Coast environment will thank you for the reduction in laundry required!)

Skin cancers can develop on any area of the body although they are less common in some. For this reason, genital areas are not routinely examined and breast examination is at patient choice. Self examination of these areas is strongly encouraged. Please inform your doctor if you have any lesions needing reviewed in these areas. A chaperone can be arranged but may not always be available at the time of the appointment unless you have mentioned this when booking.

Before your appointment, please:

• Do not wear makeup
• We have a makeup station if needed for your convenience
• Remove nail polish
• Your hair can be tied back or loose for scalp examination

If you're visiting us after any outdoor work or activities, please try to remove any dirt, paint, etc from your skin and change into some clean clothes before your appointment.

Your doctor will let you know right away if you have any moles or spots which need further investigation, and what the next step is. Sometimes a small biopsy can be done at the time of appointment or you may need to return for this. Certain pre-cancerous lesions do not need biopsies and can be treated with creams or Photodynamic Therapy (PDT).

This depends on your individual risk. Many factors influence your risk including your age, skin type (fair to olive skin types being more at risk), and personal or family history of skin cancer. UV exposure is also very important - especially with high childhood exposure, occupational exposure, high recreational exposure, previous sun-based use. Once you have had a skin check at SunLife, we'll let you know how often to return.

If you notice any new or changing moles or skin lesions that do not resolve in 4-6 weeks we strongly suggest to book an appointment as soon as possible. Some changes to look out for:

• New skin lesions
• Change in colour
• Becomes raised or lumpy
• Increases in size
• Bleeds or weeps
• Becomes rough or scaly
• Becomes itchy or sore
• Looks different to your other moles and lesions

Skin cancer can be a range of shapes, sizes, and colour. If in doubt, check it out!

The doctors at SunLife see and treat patients with skin cancer concerns every day. Each doctor practising at our Care Centre has chosen skin cancer as their area of special interest and has experience and additional qualifications.

SunLife Skin Cancer Care Centre has been purpose-built exclusively for skin cancer patients, covering skin cancer prevention, detection and treatment. 

The dedication of the Doctors and our Care Centre allows the best possible standards in skin cancer care with the most up-to-date practices and without other distractions.