Mole mapping photographs your entire skin surface, then each mole in very high resolution, creating a baseline so that a new or changing lesion can be spotted from one year to the next. Here is how the exam unfolds in practice.
The exam combines two complementary techniques: total body photography, which documents the skin surface from standardised angles, and digital dermoscopy, which captures each lesion under high magnification in polarised light. The images are stored and serve as the reference point for every following exam: it is a lesion’s evolution over time, more than its appearance at a single visit, that guides surveillance.
Mapping is particularly useful when risk factors are present: fair skin and light eyes, a high mole count (above about fifty) or atypical naevi, a personal or family history of melanoma, severe sunburns in childhood, heavy sun or tanning-bed exposure, or immunosuppressive treatment. It can also simply be part of a prevention routine without any particular risk factor; the indication and follow-up rhythm remain a medical decision, discussed with the physician.
Allow about 30 minutes. Come with bare skin: no cream or make-up on the day of the exam, no nail polish if nail lesions need to be checked, jewellery removed. Mention upfront any lesion that worries you: it will receive particular attention.
The rhythm depends on your risk level: often yearly, sometimes closer together when risk factors are marked, as decided by the physician. Year-on-year comparison is what gives the exam its value: a stable lesion is reassuring, a changing one draws attention — the very principle of the ABCDE rule, where E for Evolution is the key criterion.
It does not replace biopsy or excision when a lesion is suspicious: in that case, the diagnostic procedure remains the reference. Some areas (dense scalp, mucous membranes, nails) call for a complementary targeted examination. And it does not replace self-examination between visits, nor sun protection — two pillars of prevention.
To book a skin mapping appointment:
Book an appointment →Sources & further reading: French National Cancer Institute (e-cancer.fr), French Society of Dermatology (dermato-info.fr), French National Authority for Health (has-sante.fr). The exam described reflects the centre’s protocol; it may vary with individual situations.