Why AI mole mapping can be a lifesaver in detecting skin cancer | Sali Hughes on beauty

When the Sk:n chain of clinics collapsed suddenly last month, my immediate concern was for its excellent and affordable mole-checking service. I have written about it here before and three readers told me those columns resulted directly in the detection and diagnosis of treatable skin cancers. With NHS GP appointments and dermatology referrals so hard to obtain, Sk:n’s closure is a blow. The search for alternatives led me to the infinitely more advanced mole mapping service at the OneWelbeck Clinic in London.

My standard appointment began with consultant dermatologist Hiva Fassihi, who took my history and inspected my moles, freckles and age spots. I then stripped to disposable knickers and was led into a huge AI chamber, where a camera scanned every millimetre of skin until each mark, mole, scar or lesion on my body was identified, enlarged and charted, from most concerning to least. This took about a minute, and by the time I was dressed again, we had a detailed 3D avatar and map of my body’s surface. In one year’s time, a rescan will be able to detect the tiniest change in the moles.

Each mark, mole, scar or lesion on my body was charted. A rescan in a year’s time will detect any tiny change

The machine never comes without a human dermatologist, whose expertise and clinical experience are irreplaceable in interpreting its findings (my most problematic mole, as identified by the machine, is unlikely to cause real-life problems), but the machine’s ability to measure, log, chart and document the progress of a minuscule freckle is one of the many reasons all the doctors I know believe the NHS must embrace AI. For now, mole mapping is a private healthcare service. This tech exists only in Australia and here, where a full appointment and scan costs about £495. And as reassuring and exciting as it was, I didn’t need it.

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I have a few moles and keep a close eye on them. They’re consistent in appearance; I’ve always lived in a cool climate and there’s no family history of skin cancer. But for those at higher risk, mole mapping is potentially life saving. For the rest of us, my advice remains the same: check your moles every six months. Stick a Post-It on their location, before taking photos for comparison next time around. Any change in size, shape, symmetry, texture or colour requires a closer look by a doctor. And please, please cover any skin exposed to the sun with clothing or high-protection suncream. You need much more than you think.