Women who perform monthly self breast exams have learned that sometimes the help of a live-in partner may be crucial to detecting a tumor. Now, a new study shows that two is also better than one when performing skin exams to spot melanoma in its earliest stage.

According to the author of the study Dr. June K. Robinson of the Northwestern University of Feinberg School of Medicine and her colleagues, men and woman who have a high risk of developing melanoma—a deadly form of skin cancer—were more likely to do monthly self skin exams if they had undergone training with their partner, than those who did it alone.

Study Details

The study involved 130 participants who were randomly assigned to perform a 10-minute training session on self skin exams either with a live-in-partner or alone.

After four months, researchers found that 45 out of 65 people who trained solo had failed to perform skin exams compared with 23 of 65 who received training with their partner.

Nineteen of the paired participants examined their skin at least one time per month and 13 did several checks, compared to 9 and 4 of the solo participants, respectively.

Double Up to Prevent Cancer

Researchers concluded that those who paired up for self skin exam training are also more likely to seek treatment at the beginning stages of melanoma and less likely to die from the cancer.

Furthermore, the men and women who trained together were more likely to view the exams as important and be confident in performing them.

The study, published in the Archives of Dermatology, “affirms the role of partners in health care and extends it to promoting health behaviors,” researchers said.

The Bottom Line: Take care of your skin. Please contact us today to set up a FREE consultation with an experienced board certified plastic surgeon near you to discuss your cosmetic options.