"Encourage people to be more proactive about their skin health..."

Boots have expanded their mole scanning service to include 17 pharmacies across the country. The service has been introduced to encourage people to be more aware of skin health and able to actively tackle Ireland's most common form of cancer, skin cancer. Diagnoses of melanoma in Ireland have more than trebled in last twenty years, with the number of skin cancer cases projected to double by 2045. Boots pharmacist, Heather Feeney, said that it's especially important for people in Ireland to be aware of their skin health because of our fair complexions.  “Many people in Ireland have fair skin and burn easily, and UV rays can cause skin damage even on overcast days," she said.  "We have seen growing rates of skin cancer diagnosis in Ireland, but if spotted early, up to 90 percent of cases are curable. "We hope the mole scanning service will encourage people to be more proactive about their skin health and help identify changes that might be suspicious.” The service, which is now available in stores in Dublin, Galway, Cork, and elsewhere, uses a device called a SIAscope to check moles and pigmented lesions on the skin. The 20 minute session will obtain images from the skin, which are then sent to a ScreenCancer Dermatology Specialist for assessment. Each session costs €39 for one mole scanned, and €19 for each additional mole. A maximum of four moles can be scanned per session. The key factors to consider when examining moles follow an 'ABCDE' guide:

• A – Asymmetry: Irregular shape – the two halves should be symmetrical
• B – Borders: Unclear, irregular or ragged boundaries against normal skin
• C – Colour: Changes in colour – especially black, blue or uneven colours
• D – Diameter: More than 5-6mm in diameter and changes in size
• E – Evolving: Changes in shape, size and colour, itching or bleeding of existing moles, or a new mole

Feeney said that the service is so quick that the hope is people can even avail of it on their lunchbreak. "It’s a good idea to be vigilant in spotting any changes to your skin, and in particular moles," she said. "As these are often in hard-to-view areas such as the back, and it’s difficult to notice gradual changes, this simple scan is a great way to either put your mind at ease, or quickly move to get further investigation if needs be. "This is a part of the exciting expanding range of services by Boots Ireland to support health and wellbeing nationwide.” The 17 Boots stores offering the service are as follows:

1. Navan
2. Dundalk
3. Galway Shop St
4. Swords
5. Sligo
6. William St, Limerick
7. Carrick on Shannon
8. Half Moon St, Cork
9. Maynooth
10. Castlebar
11. St Stephen’s Green
12. Newbridge
13. Blanchardstown
14. Kilkenny McDonagh Junction
15. Carrigaline
16. Carrickmines
17. Wexford