How standing in front of the mirror NAKED could save your life!

miss them. According to Dr John Ashworth, a consultant dermatologist with Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Trust, melanomas have the appearance of very dark moles or look pale with a darker spot on them that slowly gets larger.

‘Also be aware if you spot a mole where there wasn’t one before, or a pre-existing mole that changes size, shape or colour and bleeds,’ he warns. This is because it is possible for moles you were born with to become cancerous.

‘And watch out for any moles with an uneven or ragged edge as moles are usually circular or oval with a smooth border,’ he adds.

SWELLING OF THE THIGHS

SwelliNg of one or both thighs can be a symptom of testicular cancer, says Professor Christopher eden, a consultant urologist at The Royal Surrey County Hospital in guildford.

‘Testicular cancer can spread to the lymph nodes in the pelvis which in turn affects the lymphatic system in this area, a drainage system that helps the body get rid of excess fluid and waste products.

‘As a result, fluid builds up around the upper thigh,’ he says. This is different from peripheral arterial dis- ease, where fatty deposits block the leg arteries, where the swelling tends to be in the calf area.

Another sign of testicular cancer is when one testicle appears to be lower than the other.

‘This is caused by the weight of the tumour pulling the testicle down,’ adds Professor eden.

A RASH ON YOUR ELBOWS OR KNEES

A SeveRely itchy red, blistering rash could be a sign of gluten intolerance or coeliac disease, says Parveen Kumar, a consultant gastroenterologist at Barts and the london School of Medicine and Dentistry. gluten is the protein found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley.

‘This rash is known as dermatitis herpetiformis, and usually appears on the elbows but can appear on the trunk and knees,’ he says. it affects around 10 per cent of people with coeliac disease, a condition where the immune system reacts to gluten by damaging the lining of the small intestine.

‘Switching to a gluten-free diet can help clear it up,’ says Professor Kumar.

in some cases, a medication called dapsone is prescribed while steroid cream may reduce the itch.

PUCKERING OF BREAST SKIN

UNUSUAl dimpling on the surface of the breast may be a sign of breast cancer.

‘ when a cancer forms in the breast, the tumour cells cause the surrounding tissue to form collagen — a protein which provides strength and structure to the skin and which is produced by the body as a reaction to change or injury,’ explains Tony Howell, a professor of medical oncology at the University of Manchester.

‘The collagen draws the skin tissue inward which is why it creates this dimpling or orange peel-like effect on the breast.’

Nipple inversion — where the nipple retracts into the breast — is another potential sign, also caused by collagen in the surrounding tissue pulling the nipple in.

Dimpling and nipple inversion can also be due to causes other than cancer — but any changes should be checked by your doctor, adds Professor Howell.