Regular skin checks are not only vital for detecting potential skin cancers early but can also reduce your long-term health impacts and costs. In this short video, Dr Terry Harvey weighs up the benefits of getting a regular skin check against the financial investment.

Dr Harvey says that if you visit your doctor for a routine skin check and they identify a small skin malignancy, they can promptly remove it with a minor surgical procedure, minimising both the financial and physical burden on you. The out-of-pocket costs for such a procedure are typically modest.

However, if you neglect regular skin checks and allow the cancer to progress to a more advanced stage, it can become a much larger problem. Over time, the area requiring treatment may be significantly more extensive, requiring the services of a specialist or plastic surgeon, or general anaesthesia in a hospital, which adds further financial strain.

Dr Harvey says that regular skin checks can help you avoid unexpected and substantial expenses. While there may be minor costs associated with routine check-ups, this proactive approach significantly reduces the likelihood of encountering major unforeseen expenses. 

Further, early detection of skin cancer minimises the physical and emotional impacts of an advanced skin cancer diagnosis. Regular skin checks can afford you peace of mind and might save your life.

Watch the full video with Dr Terry Harvey now: