The Bay County company offers free skin cancer screenings

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – The month of May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month nationwide, and a Florida company is offering the public the opportunity to get a free scan.

On Thursday the 30th and Friday, 31st Dermatology Specialists of Florida will host free demonstrations at their Panama City location.

You do not need health insurance for the examination, but you must make an appointment in advance.

The screening takes about 5 to 10 minutes and the dermatologists only look to see if they notice anything strange about your body.

When it comes to checking for skin cancer, dermatologists say an annual exam is important.

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“It is generally recommended that you have an annual checkup,” says Dr. Jon Ward of Dermatology Specialists of Florida. “It just gives you that extra peace of mind that nothing has had time to get to a place where it could negatively impact your health. Normally, cancerous moles take time to change and spread.”

If you have had skin cancer in the past or if there is a family history of skin cancer, doctors recommend getting tested every three months.

If anything on your skin looks asymmetrical, has color variations, is the diameter of a pencil eraser, or has changed over the years, you should contact your dermatologist immediately.

Dermatology Specialists of Florida has locations throughout the Panhandle, including Panama City Beach, Santa Rosa Beach and DeFuniak Springs, all of which also offer free checkups.