Mr. Onur Gilleard
Qualifications & Experience
Mr Onur Gilleard is a distinguished consultant plastic surgeon on the GMC specialist register. He previously held an NHS consultant post at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, specialising in skin cancer and microsurgical reconstruction. In 2021, Mr Gilleard transitioned from the NHS to dedicate himself fully to private practice, allowing him to focus exclusively on providing personalised, high-quality care to his patients. He is recognised as an expert in laser treatments, having conducted research and developed advanced treatment protocols using cutting-edge laser technology to optimise both clinical outcomes and cosmetic results.
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Photographing your moles is one of the most useful things you can do between professional checks, because melanoma
is detected through change — and memory is unreliable. Good home photos are taken in consistent
light, from the same distance, with a ruler for scale, and dated. They are excellent for spotting obvious change,
but they have real limits: a phone cannot see beneath the skin’s surface the way clinical
dermoscopy can. This guide shows how to photograph moles properly, where apps help and where they
do not, and when professional mole mapping is the better tool.
Why Photograph Your Moles
The key warning sign for melanoma is a mole that changes. A dated photograph turns “I think it looks
different” into an objective before-and-after comparison — invaluable when you see a clinician. It is especially
worthwhile if you have many moles or a mole you are keeping an eye on (use the
ABCDE signs as your guide).
How to Take Useful Photos
- Consistent light — bright, even, natural light; avoid shadows and flash glare.
- Same distance and angle each time, so changes are real, not artefacts of how you held the phone.
- Include a ruler or coin beside the mole for scale.
- Steady focus — tap to focus, keep the camera still.
- Date every image and keep a simple log; ask someone to help with hard-to-see areas like the back.
Where Smartphone Apps Help — and Don’t
Mole-tracking apps can help you organise and date photos, which is genuinely useful. What they cannot reliably do
is diagnose: app risk-scores are not regulated medical assessments and should never be used to
reassure yourself about a worrying mole. Treat apps as a filing system, not a second opinion.
When to Step Up to Professional Mapping
Home photos capture the surface; clinical dermoscopy
sees the pigment patterns beneath it, and FotoFinder mole mapping
records your whole skin surface and measures change with AI assistance year on year. If you have many or atypical
moles, a family history of melanoma, or simply want a proper baseline, professional mapping is the more reliable
tool. And any mole that has clearly changed should be assessed in person, not just re-photographed.
Common Questions
- How often should I photograph my moles?
- For general monitoring, every few months is reasonable, plus any time you notice a possible change. If you are watching a specific mole on a clinician’s advice, follow the interval they suggest. Always date your photos for accurate comparison.
- Can I trust a mole-checking app to tell me if a mole is safe?
- No. Apps can help you store and compare photos, but their risk scores are not a medical diagnosis and should never be used to dismiss a worrying mole. If a mole concerns you, see a clinician.
- Is photographing moles as good as professional mole mapping?
- It helps, but it is not equivalent. Home photos capture the surface only; professional mole mapping uses dermoscopy to see beneath the surface and an AI system to measure change against a precise baseline, which is far more sensitive to early melanoma.
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