With the ABCDE rule, you can check yourself at home to see if your birthmarks require a medical examination. Each letter of the ABCDE rule stands for a feature that could be a skin lesion, such as a mole.

This is how the ABCDE rule works

Letters stand up:

A = oddity

• Do moles have a uniform, round shape? This is good.
• Is the birthmark uneven, odd? Then you should visit a dermatologist.

B = range

• Are the edges sharp and smooth? This is good.
• Are the edges blurred, jagged, uneven, or rough? Then you should visit a dermatologist.

c = color

• Do moles have a uniform colour? This is good.
• Does it have different colors, spots or blotches? Then you should visit a dermatologist.

d = diameter

• Is the mole smaller than five millimeters at the widest point? This is good.
• Is it larger than five millimeters or is it a hemispherical shape? Then you should visit a dermatologist.

E = Elegance and Growth

• Is the mole flat and not changing shape? This is good.
• Is it more than a millimeter, are nodules forming or is it getting bigger? Then you should visit a dermatologist.

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