How to Check Your Scalp for Skin Cancer (When You Can't See It)

The scalp is one of the hardest places on your body to check — and that's exactly why changes there are often noticed late, frequently by a hairdresser or partner rather than the person themselves. The good news: with a phone camera and five minutes, you can screen your scalp properly. This guide shows you how, and how to monitor any spot you find over time.

Why Scalp Checks Get Missed

The scalp is hidden under hair, out of your own line of sight, and rarely examined closely. Spots there can grow unnoticed for months. Many scalp lesions are first spotted by hairdressers, barbers or partners — not by doctors, and not by the person they belong to. Because discovery tends to come later, making scalp checks a deliberate habit matters more here than almost anywhere else on the body.

The 5-Minute Scalp Check Method

With a partner (best option)

Sit under bright, even light — daylight near a window is ideal. Have your partner part your hair in rows about 2 cm apart, working front to back, then over each ear, then the crown and the back of the head. They're looking for anything new, changing, bleeding, crusted, or clearly different from the surrounding skin. Anything of interest: photograph it close-up with the hair held apart.

Alone, with two mirrors or your phone

Stand with your back to a wall mirror and use a hand mirror to view the back and crown, parting hair with your free hand. Easier: use your phone's front camera in video mode, slowly moving it over each section, then review the footage. Sections you can't see clearly are exactly the ones worth asking someone else to look at.

Ask your hairdresser or barber

They see your scalp more often and more closely than anyone. Ask them to mention anything new or changing — many are used to being asked.

What to Look For on the Scalp

The same ABCDE warning signs apply on the scalp as anywhere else: Asymmetry, irregular Borders, multiple or uneven Colours, Diameter over 6mm, and above all Evolution — any change in size, shape, colour or behaviour. On the scalp, also take seriously: a sore or scab that doesn't heal within a few weeks, a spot that bleeds when combing or brushing without real injury, and any new dark spot appearing in adulthood.

For detailed guides, see our articles on moles on the scalp and scalp melanoma warning signs. For specific concerns, see our guides to a black spot on the scalp and a scalp sore that won't heal.

Photographing Your Scalp for Monitoring

Change over time is the single most useful signal — and photos are how you capture it. Part the hair fully so the spot and some surrounding skin are visible. Use natural daylight, no flash. Hold the camera 10–15 cm away and make sure the image is sharp. Include a size reference (a coin or ruler) in the first photo. Repeat with the same angle, lighting and distance each time so images are comparable.

How Often to Re-Check

For a normal-looking scalp with no known spots, a full check every 1–3 months is a reasonable habit. Any specific spot you're keeping an eye on deserves its own schedule: photograph it monthly and compare images side by side. Our skin monitoring tool stores your photos in a timeline and reminds you when it's time to re-scan, so changes don't rely on memory.

When to See a Doctor

See a doctor promptly — regardless of what any AI screen shows — if a scalp spot is: new in adulthood and growing; changing in size, shape or colour; bleeding without injury; crusted, ulcerated or not healing within a few weeks; persistently itchy or painful; or simply different from everything else on your skin. AI screening helps you decide how urgently to act; it does not diagnose, and it never overrules a doctor or your own instinct.