Darren noticed a sore on his forehead which he thought was from an old cricket helmet he’d been wearing. He was fairly certain the sore was from the velcro irritating his skin—and wasn’t too concerned. But when the sore still hadn’t healed by the following cricket season, Darren decided it was time to get it checked out.

“I went to visit my GP, and he confirmed that it was actually a basal cell carcinoma, which was a bit shocking. Especially when he said I’d had to have it cut out and stitched up.”

In early 2013, Sharon noticed an ongoing itchy spot on her back near her right shoulder blade. She lived alone and couldn’t see the spot for herself, so she decided to visit her GP who told her that she needed an immediate biopsy. The biopsy confirmed Sharon had the most serious type of Stage 2 skin cancer.

“I felt so relieved that the PICO worked—especially being so close to a Stage 3. I didn’t have to have a skin graft or chemo. I felt extremely lucky.”

Some spots on the skin are nothing to worry about, but others can be deadly if not detected and treated early. When it comes to the successful treatment of skin cancer—particularly melanoma— early detection is critical. To give yourself the best chance of catching skin cancer in its early stages, you need to know what to look out for.