Mole mapping in Hervey Bay.

Skin check alone (bulk billed)

Your GP examines your skin head to toe with a dermatoscope and records anything of interest. Your GP assesses any spots that need attention today.

Skin check + OptimaScan photography

The same GP examination, plus a photographic baseline of your skin. At future visits, your GP can compare images to assess change over time. The optional scan costs $49 until 31 December 2026, then $99 from 1 January 2027.

Mole mapping Hervey Bay patients can have their skin photographed with OptimaScan, a 3D total body photography system at our Pialba clinic. Standing on a small platform, you are photographed from head to toe in a set of standardised, high-resolution images in about a minute. Those images become your personal baseline. At your skin checks, your GP compares your current skin against that baseline, so a mole that is new, growing or changing colour is easier to pick out. It is a simple idea that makes a real difference: instead of relying on memory, your doctor has a clear photographic record to work from. OptimaScan is what most people mean when they say mole mapping. It is a photography and monitoring tool. It does not diagnose anything on its own, and it works alongside your GP, never instead of them.

The real value comes over time. A single scan gives your GP a clear baseline. Repeating it is where total body photography earns its place: your doctor lines up your images from visit to visit and can pick up even small changes that are easy to miss from memory alone. A scan and skin check can be repeated on a regular cycle so that changes are tracked over time. If you have multiple moles, your GP may suggest repeating the scan, often around every 12 months, so each new set of images can be compared with the last. How often depends on your skin and your risk, and repeat scans are always optional. Queensland has some of the highest UV levels in the world, and the Fraser Coast is no exception. Years of sun add up, which is why keeping an eye on your skin matters at every age. Most of your moles follow a similar pattern. A spot that looks different from the rest is worth your GP seeing. A full-body baseline gives you and your GP a clear point of comparison year to year, so a mole that is new or changing is easier to notice. For many people the reassurance is just as valuable as the record itself: a calm, structured way to keep track of skin that is easy to forget about until something changes. For more on what to watch for, see healthdirect’s guide to skin cancer.

1. Arrive and get set up

   A trained team member welcomes you, explains the scan and helps you into position. You change in private. Underwear does not need to be removed.

2. Stand and hold the handles

   You stand on the platform and hold the two handles while the system captures a series of standardised photographs. This part takes about a minute.

3. Your baseline is stored securely

   The images upload into the clinic imaging platform your GP uses, becoming the baseline record for your skin.

4. See your GP in the same visit

   Your GP examines your skin and reviews the images, using a handheld dermatoscope to look closely at any spot that needs it.

5. Leave with a clear plan

   Your GP talks you through anything to watch, monitor or act on. At future visits, your skin is compared against the baseline.

Getting ready takes only a moment. On the day of your OptimaScan scan:

• Clean skin, please. Avoid makeup, fake tan and heavy moisturiser on the day so your skin photographs clearly.
• Remove accessories. Take off jewellery, watches and glasses before the scan.
• Tie long hair up. Keep your face, ears and neck visible.
• Underwear does not need to be removed. You change in private. Tattoos, birthmarks and body hair are all completely fine.

Your photographs are stored securely in the clinical imaging platform your GP uses. Side by side, your doctor can compare today’s images with your baseline and zoom in on individual spots in fine detail. OptimaScan is a photography and monitoring tool. It does not diagnose anything on its own, and it does not replace a hands-on examination. Your GP examines your skin, reviews the images, and decides whether a spot needs a closer look, ongoing monitoring, or a biopsy. Your skin check is carried out by one of our GPs with a special interest in skin cancer, including Dr Nadeesh Seneviratne, who holds a Master of Medicine in Skin Cancer Medicine from the University of Queensland. Mole mapping works together with a full skin check and our skin spot check services. If something needs removing, our GPs also perform skin biopsies and excisions on site.

Have a lot of moles

More than about 100 moles, or moles that are simply too many to keep track of between visits.

Have large or unusual moles

Moles that are large, or an unusual colour or shape.

Have moles on your back

Moles on your back, or anywhere else you cannot easily see or check yourself.

Have had a melanoma

A previous melanoma, particularly if you have had more than one.

Have a strong family history

Three or more relatives diagnosed with melanoma.

Have fair skin and past sunburn

Fair skin that has been severely or repeatedly sunburned.

These are the groups Melanoma Institute Australia identifies as likely to benefit from total body photography. Your GP will advise whether it is appropriate for you.

OptimaScan is installed and running at Main Street Medical Centre, 71 Main Street, Pialba. You do not travel anywhere else, and your images are reviewed by your own GP. The system uses ordinary high-resolution photography with soft, even lighting. There is no radiation, nothing touches your skin, and there is nothing to feel. For most people the whole photography step is over in about a minute. We are easy to reach for patients across Hervey Bay, including Point Vernon, Eli Waters, Scarness, Torquay, Urraween and Kawungan, with on-site parking.

The booking link opens OptimaScan 3D Total Body Skin Check with available GPs and appointment times. Call reception if you need help or would like a particular GP.

OptimaScan (mole mapping)

• Photographs your whole skin from head to toe.
• Creates a baseline of your overall skin for comparison over time.
• Best for tracking many moles and spotting change across the body.
• Booked as a 3D Total Body Skin Check.

Digital dermoscopy

• A close-up image of a single, specific spot your GP wants to watch.
• Captures fine detail of an individual lesion for monitoring.
• Done with a handheld dermatoscope during your skin check.
• Part of your consultation, as clinically needed.