You may be asking yourself, "Do I need to go to a Dermatologist?". One way to answer that question is to ask your primary care doctor if you should go. According to the American Academy of Dermatology "some people need to be screened more than others."
You should definitely see a Dermatologist if you spend prolonged amounts of time in the sun without taking sun protective precautions. If Skin Cancer runs in your family or if you have a fair complexion, these are also risk factors. Another reason to watch out for skin cancer is if you've had severe sunburn in your childhood.
The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that everyone obtain a yearly head-to-toe skin exam from a doctor. The Foundation also advises you to examine your own skin head-to-toe once a month. Do keep in mind that some areas, such as your back, are hard to check on one's own.
It is now established that early detection of Skin Cancer is key to successful treatment. "Even Melanoma, a type of cancer that can spread quickly, is curable when treated early" according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Another idea is to check out the following link and find a free skin cancer screening in your area: https://www.aad.org/scs/search/default.aspx
You can even sign up for an eAlert when a screening is scheduled near you.
The take-home message is to get yourself to a Dermatologist regularly since skin cancer is highly treatable if detected early.