Halloween is a time when we all want to have fun, but a time to remind the kids about safety, too.
- Head out in groups, never alone.
- Don’t accept unwrapped food items.
- Look both ways when crossing the street and never get in a car with a stranger.
- Keep the flashlight handy.
- And the hardest trick for kids (and sometimes adults) to learn?: don’t eat all your candy at once!
It’s a good time for grown-ups to practice safety measures, too.
Take off Your Costume! 
Sure skin cancer is a scary subject, but there are some tricks to staying ahead of it.
First? Take off your costume. And all your clothes, for that matter!
Checking your skin means taking regular reviews of all the spots and dots on your body: moles, freckles and, yes, those little treats, “age spots.” Things change, and you’re the one who sees your skin the most. Of course it’s even better to do a buddy check with your partner. The American Academy of Dermatology has a handy how-to you can print out for checking yourself out. Then, if you see any kind of change on one of your spots, don’t be afraid; just get it checked out.
The Ugly Duckling
Remember the children’s picture game we would play, “Which of these things is not like the other?” When taking a gander at your body, look for the ugly duckling – the mark or mole that stands out and looks different from the others, especially if it falls under the ABCDE’s of Melanoma.
ADD's Downloadable Mole Map Guide
Look for:
A: Asymmetry — One half different from the other, or odd shaped
B: Border – Irregular border
C: Color – For example, tan and brown, black, sometimes, red, white or even blue
D: Diameter – Gotten larger than the width of a pencil eraser?
E: Evolved – A change in size, shape or color
Any of these are good reasons to head to your dermatologist. Maybe you’ll get a lollipop.
Tags: Detection, How-To, Melanoma, Mole Map, Prevention, Skin Cancer, Ugly Duckling