"We see a lot of extra information when we look through the dermatoscope rather than with the naked eye." In this short video, Doctor Terry Harvey explains why your doctor will use a dermatoscope to thoroughly examine your skin during your skin check.
A dermatoscope is a small, handheld tool (a bit like a magnifying glass) that allows the doctor to see changes in the cells beneath the surface of your skin. This allows them to identify the early signs of skin cancer.
"Without using a dermatoscope, we're taking skin cancer diagnosis back 30 or 40 years," says Dr Harvey.
Watch more from Dr Terry Harvey: How does my family's skin cancer history affect me?