HOW NUDE PICTURES COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE
A GOLD COAST surgeon is urging people to take nude selfies – but it’s for a sound medical reason.
Plastic surgeon Dr Ian McDougall said taking a series of nude photographs of your own body could help in the early diagnosis of skin cancer.
Dr McDougall said he believes the idea – which has the backing of the Cancer Council Queenland – has saved the lives of several of his patients in recent years.
“What I’m trying to advise everyone is to get photographs of their body because it’s evidence of change,” he said.
“(Patients) have turned up with lesions that doctors miss but that you see in photographs.
“With the technology we have now, if everyone had photographs of their body and reviewed it every six months ... you would pick these things up far earlier than doctors would.”
Cancer Council Queensland CEO Chris McMillan said photos were useful tools to help people recognise when they might have developed a skin cancer.
“It’s vital for Queenslanders to get to know their own skin and conduct regular self-checks, to help detect skin cancer early,” she said.
“Taking photos of your skin or moles regularly is a great way for individuals to check for variances over time and take action if they notice any changes.”
Southport local Lili Eastwood, 21, said she would be willing to take a series of photographs of her body as a means to detect potential skin cancer growths early, if encouraged by a doctor.