These short stories reflect the kind of consultations that occur frequently in dermatology clinics. They are by no means rare or unusual.

• "A patient came to see me after several months of being urged to do so by his wife. She was worried about a large mole the patient had between his shoulders.
  The mole was absolutely benign, but I wanted to examine the rest of his skin, including the soles of his feet. The patient was not very happy about having to take his socks off. He had a typical melanoma on the arch of his foot, which he had never noticed.
  This story illustrates the need to examine the entire surface of the skin. The lesions that patients are worried about aren't always the ones that concern the dermatologist."
• "A young man in his early twenties came to see me for a consultation. He was a blond, blue-eyed surfer and explained that he spent the whole summer out in the sun in swimming trunks without using any sun protection. He was totally unaware of the risks he was taking with his skin.
  Since one of his sisters had undergone surgery to remove a melanoma, his family urged him to see a dermatologist.
  His skin examination did not show any abnormalities, but the consultation gave me the opportunity to explain the risks he was taking by surfing without any protection.
  He still spends his holidays on a surfboard today, but knows what steps to take to effectively protect himself from the sun."
Good sun habits
• "A female patient came to visit the clinic in a very anxious state. She had an irritated, itchy brown lesion on the underside of her thigh, and was convinced that it was a melanoma.
  A simple visual examination convinced me that the lesion was benign, which I then confirmed using the dermoscope.
  It was in fact an irritated seborrheic keratosis, a common and harmless lesion.
  Getting examined by a dermatologist is not simply about diagnosing cancer; it is also frequently about reassuring patients and even removing unattractive, bothersome lesions."