Skin cancer is one of those diseases that may not always be on your mind, but because of this, it can easily go undetected. If you’re not making regular appointments to see your dermatologist, you might want to keep your eye out for subtle signs of skin cancer you shouldn’t ignore. Checking for abnormalities is important — it could save your life.

“If melanoma is diagnosed and treated in its early stages, it is almost always curable,” says dermatologic surgeon and RealSelf Contributor Dr. Joel Schlessinger over email. “If it’s not caught early, melanoma can spread to other parts of the body, where it becomes hard to treat and can be fatal.