As Professor Paoli puts it:

”Checka fläcken is a smart and engaging way to spread awareness about skin cancer. When education meets entertainment, it becomes easier to absorb vital information – and share it with others.”

Ready to test your mole-checking skills in Swedish? Game on!
[Play Checka fläcken now ➜ www.spotthedot.org/game

ACO is a leading skincare brand in the Nordics, born in the Swedish pharmacy with over 85 yrs. of experience in skincare.

Der Beitrag First project in Sweden! erschien zuerst auf Spot The Dot.

When the Music is Loud, the Message Should Be Too?

Sonic Blast is no ordinary beach festival. Its lineup pulses with stoner rock, post-punk, synth, and doom genres known for their raw energy and immersive sound. The visuals are bold, the crowd embraces edge, and the vibe demands an equally fearless approach. Spot the Dot rose to the challenge.

Instead of quiet reminders, the team went all in with a statement impossible to ignore: “Fuck the Sun.” The phrase appeared across merchandise, flyers, stickers, fans, and temporary tattoos. The design wasn’t intended as pure provocation—it was carefully crafted to harmonize with the festival’s aesthetic while driving home an urgent sun-safety message.

The impact was instant. Festivalgoers smiled, sparked conversations, and shared genuine moments of connection over the bold campaign. It wasn’t just about getting attention; it was about delivering life-saving advice in a way that resonated with the environment and its audience.

This campaign is the latest chapter in Spot the Dot’s 10-year journey to raise awareness about skin cancer—through everything from art exhibitions and street murals to educational talks and collaborative, unconventional projects.

The takeaway? Awareness doesn’t always have to whisper. Sometimes, the most powerful messages are the ones shouted over the music. Spot the Dot proves that when you dare to be loud, bold, and a little unexpected, you can make an impact that lasts long after the final encore.

Der Beitrag Awareness at Sonic Blast Festival in Portugal erschien zuerst auf Spot The Dot.

What Kind of Images Stand Out to You in Health Awareness?

”For me, changing the look of skin cancer awareness is essential. At Spot the Dot I aim to create visuals that break the mold—moving beyond the typical beach scenes of blonde women applying sunscreen and images of doctors in white coats looking at moles. I want bold, memorable images that represent the diversity of people impacted by skin cancer. Showing people of all backgrounds in these campaigns isn’t just refreshing—it’s necessary to truly connect with everyone at risk. Skin cancer does not discriminate.” – Marije, founder of Spot the Dot

Skatedeck made by Gentlemen Skateboards, designed by DeDonLeon

Spot the Dot had developed a limited edition skate deck in 2023 along with a few pieces of merchandise, providing chosen skaters to spread the message of sun safety and skin health within the skating community. Unfortunately these skate decks are currently sold out. If you want to have a piece of merchandising or if you are a skater, photographer or filmmaker who wants to help our cause, you can send an email to contact@spotthedot.org

Photos by Manuel Peric

Der Beitrag Skate against skin cancer erschien zuerst auf Spot The Dot.

Der Beitrag Spot the Dot in Retiro Park erschien zuerst auf Spot The Dot.

Free public sunscreen dispensers are coming to 40 locations across 8 provinces in Canada this summer in the third year of a pilot project to fight skin cancer by making sunscreen more accessible. The initiative is led by Save Your Skin Foundation, a national patient-led non-profit dedicated to the fight against melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer and ocular melanoma.

The campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of sun safety while providing equitable access to sun protection by placing dispensers in areas frequented by diverse communities, including individuals and families, as well as those facing socio-economic challenges and those who are unhoused.

”Skin cancer is largely preventable, but not everyone has access to sunscreen,” says Kathy Barnard, stage 4 melanoma survivor and Founder of Save Your Skin Foundation. ”In the third year of this pilot, it was important to us that we ensured we were getting sunscreen to marginalized communities where people may not have access to it.”

The initiative began in 2022, when SYSF worked with then medical students Samuel and Karen Farag to launch 10 dispensers across Canada. In 2023, that number increased to 30. So far in 2024, SYSF has plans to launch 40 dispensers across 8 provinces – with more to come.

New this year, SYSF has partnered with Spot the Dot to bring the award-winning educational game ”Check-a-mole” to Canada. The dispensers feature a QR code to direct users to the game. This interactive tool educates individuals of all ages on the ABCDE method of early detection for skin cancer, emphasizing the critical importance of early intervention and prevention.

”I had been reminding people to ’spot their dots’ for several years through my awareness campaigns. However, I realized that not everyone knows how to recognize suspicious lesions on their skin,” says Marije Kruis, melanoma survivor and founder of Spot the Dot. ” That is why I decided to create a game to teach people the ABCDE rule of recognizing skin cancer and to raise awareness of the importance of skin checks. I am thrilled to collaborate with SYSF and launch my game in Canada. The game is free, and anyone with a phone and an internet connection can play it. You don’t even have to install anything. It’s quite fun, I promise you!”

The dispensers are automatic and touchless, and provide free, Health Canada approved SPF 30 sunscreen for anyone who needs it. The dispensers will contain SPF 30 mineral sunscreen, which is a zinc oxide-based sunscreen, free from chemical sunscreen filters, common allergens and toxic ingredients including oxybenzone, avobenzone, retinyl palminate, PEG, parfume, and sodium lauryl sulphate. Click here to view the full list of ingredients.

Applying sunscreen is part of an overall sun-safe way to enjoy the outdoors. First, limit your time in the direct sunlight, especially between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., seek shade, cover up by wearing long sleeves and pants and a wide-brimmed hat. Use sunscreen, specifically one labelled broad-spectrum, SPF 30, protect the lips with lip sunscreen or zinc oxide. Apply 20 minutes before sun exposure, and reapply every two hours or after swimming.

About Save Your Skin Foundation
Save Your Skin Foundation (SYSF) is a patient-led not-for-profit organization dedicated to the fight against non-melanoma skin cancers, melanoma, and ocular melanoma through education, advocacy, and awareness initiatives across Canada. SYSF provides a community of oncology patient and caregiver support throughout the entire continuum of care, from prevention and diagnosis to survivorship. Please visit saveyourskin.ca for more information.

Der Beitrag Spot the Dot in Canada erschien zuerst auf Spot The Dot.

We started this new campaign with a group of cyclists and an interesting discussion about what is the right thing to do concerning sun protection and enjoying your sports.  We found out there are still many misconceptions around the topic of skin cancer. This conversation was the motivation that led us to start a sports-related skin cancer awareness campaign which goes beyond cycling…. the campaign ”Faster Than Skincancer” was born.

We don’t tell you to stay indoors

”We love nothing more than being outdoors and enjoying the sun, whether cycling, running, surfing, skiing or any other type of outdoor pursuit but we want to ensure that people can experience this joy without problems down the line; I launched the foundation after treatment on melanoma myself so I know the risks very well.” – Marije Kruis, Founder of Spot the Dot

We want you all to keep enjoying sports, indoor and outdoor. Nobody wants to spend the entire summer indoors, and indeed some sunshine, below sunburn level, can be good for us, helping the body to create vitamin D and giving many of us a feeling of general wellbeing as we enjoy outdoor summer activities. However, all too often we over-do our sun exposure which can lead to a range of skin problems, the most serious of which include skin cancer. Too much UV radiation from the sun can damage the genetic material (the DNA) in your skin cells. If enough DNA damage builds up over time, it can cause cells to start growing out of control, which can lead to skin cancer.

We do ask you to spot your dots

We ALL have to keep an eye on changes on our skin. Each year more and more people globally are diagnosed with skin cancer. With early detection, the chance of survival is almost 100%, but a melanoma spreads relatively quickly and survival with metastatic melanoma is very limited.

Regular (self) check of the skin is important, but there is still a lot of ignorance about melanoma and especially among young people. They underestimate the dangers of unprotected sunbathing, getting sunburns while doing sports outside and the use tanning beds. They also often do not realize that the skin damage they now incur increases their chances of melanoma and other forms of skin cancer in later life. Make sure you do a regular skin check with a dermatologist or your general practitioner.

Now go and have a look at our campaign website:

www.fasterthanskincancer.org

Photo by Oliver Toman

Der Beitrag Faster Than Skincancer erschien zuerst auf Spot The Dot.

Get Your Temporary Tattoos

We partnered up with the lovely people behind Young & Smitten and made a set of 3 Spot the Dot themed temporary tattoos! We hope these fake tattoos remind you and your loved ones to spot your dots! Even though we hope you love our designs as much as we do they will wear off again after a few days…

You can buy the temporary tattoo in a set of 3 via www.youngandsmitten.com or send us an email via contact@spotthedot.org

Calling All Photographers, Influencers, and Tattoo Studios

We believe in the power of community and storytelling. If you’re a photographer or influencer, we’d love for you to help spread awareness by showcasing our tattoos and sharing their message. Likewise, if you run a tattoo studio, we’d be happy to send you some of these temporary tattoos, along with other giveaways, to help educate your clients on the importance of skin cancer prevention. Why tattoo artists, you ask? Well, who better to champion this cause than those who work intimately with skin every single day? Their keen eye and understanding of skin’s intricacies make them perfect advocates for skin cancer prevention.

More Than Just Ink

These tattoos aren’t just about aesthetics—they’re conversation starters. Whether seen in a tattoo parlor or shared online, they create an opportunity to talk about the importance of early detection and sun safety. After all, who better to highlight the significance of skin health than those who work with skin every day?

Safe to use

The tattoos are printed with a special combination of offset and serigraphy print technology. They are conform with the strict European standard EN 71T3 and all colours and glues are scientifically developed ingredients for the use on skin. As such, they are 100% skin friendly and safe. Read more about our quality standards as well as the ingredients of our temporary tattoos here

Young & Smitten support Spot the Dot

”At Young & Smitten, we’ve been creating temporary tattoos for various purposes for quite some time. But a tattoo as a reminder for regular skin checks? That’s a first! We love that our medium can also be used to raise awareness about health-related topics. After all, healthy skin is the canvas for our creative work. That’s why we’re thrilled to support Marije’s important initiative, which promotes prevention and education in the fight against skin cancer.” – Team Young&Smitten

Together, let’s use creativity to shine a light on melanoma awareness—one tattoo at a time.Spot your dots. Protect your skin. Make a difference.

Der Beitrag Ink to Think: Spot the Dot Temporary Tattoos erschien zuerst auf Spot The Dot.

To raise skin cancer awareness within the surf community, Spot the Dot partnered with California-based Vampire Surf Club on a special awareness project focused on early detection and self skin checks. Surfers spend long hours in intense sun exposure, making skin cancer awareness especially relevant. Together, we developed a compact ABCDE guide for self skin checks, created specifically for the surf community, practical, accessible, and easy to share among surf buddies.

As part of this collaboration, Spot the Dot founder Marije Kruis wrote a personal article for Vampire Surf Club, connecting lived experience with education and prevention.

Read the full article Spot the Dot: A Surfer’s Guide to Skin Cancer Checks, here: 
https://vampiresurfclub.com/blogs/news/spot-the-dot-a-surfer-s-guide-to-skin-cancer-checks

Download the ABCDE guide as a PDF here

More interesting reads:
Cold Water, Warm Advice: a conversation with Dr. Sissy Waschkowski 
Beyond Sunscreen: A Dermatologist’s Guide to Sun Protection for Surfers

This project is part of Spot the Dot’s mission to bring skin cancer awareness into real-life communities and cultures. More to come.

Feature photo by Aljaz Babnik / Vampire Surf Club

Der Beitrag Spot the Dot x Vampire Surf Club erschien zuerst auf Spot The Dot.

Ready to test your mole-checking skills in Norwegian (or any of the other 8 languages)? Game on!
Play now ➜ www.spotthedot.org/game

Learn the ABCDE method of recognizing skin cancer

As Dr. Katarina Zak Stangeland puts it: ”Sjekk flekken offers a fun and captivating way to raise awareness about malignant melanoma. With the interactive way of combining entertainment and education, essential information becomes easier to understand- and its easily shared with others”.

Dr. Katarina Zak Stangeland is a specialist in dermatology and venereology and works at Aleris, Norway’s largest private healthcare provider, in Stavanger

“As a melanoma patient, I know firsthand how critical early detection can be. My mission is to help others recognize potential warning signs before it’s too late. Together with dermatologists, I developed Sjekk Flekken, a free browser-based educational game that introduces the ABCDE method in a positive and interactive way. But beyond education, I hope it sparks conversations, at home, among friends, and in schools. Because when more people learn to spot the dots and speak up about changes in their skin, we increase the chances of catching melanoma early, when it is most treatable.”

Marije Kruis, melanoma patient advocate and founder of Spot the Dot

Thanks to the support of Cosmica and Cliniderm

Cosmica and Cliniderm are leading skincare brands within suncare in Norway, sold in the pharmacy channel

Der Beitrag Spot the Dot in Norway! erschien zuerst auf Spot The Dot.

A collaboration between Clínica Dermatológica Internacional & Spot the Dot

On February 2023 we got to exhibit a series of photographs curated by melanoma patient and founder of the non-profit Spot the Dot, Marije Kruis at the prestigious Clínica Dermatológica Internacional in Madrid, Spain. An exhibition aiming to encourage body positivity and awareness of skin cancer.

Press featuring the exhibition

Vanitas El Confidential
Telva
La Vangardia
Leonoticias
El Independiente
Bee Magazine
Ruber Internacional
Diario de Burgos
Consalud
Salamanca
Time News
El Plural
Nouvelle du Monde
and more…

Visit the exhibition in Madrid

From 24.02.2023- 30.06.2023

9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday * To visit the exposition, please write an email first to exposicion@clinicacdi.com

Location

Clínica Dermatológica Internacional

c/Marqués de Villamagna, 8

28001 Madrid

www.clinicadermatologicainternacional.com

#LoveYourBodyCDI #SpotTheDotCDI #RevisaTusLunares

Credits

A collaboration with Clínica Dermatológica Internacional

Coordination: Frida Muntión / Marije Kruis

Photography / Art direction: Max Manavi-Huber

Analogue photography & film: Marko Mestrovic

Assistant: Valentin Schörghuber

Models by Das Deck

Styling: Sabine Ortlieb

Makeup: Nil Stranzinger

Set Design: Studio Tina Hausmann / Studio Sprosse

Studio: PPM Foto

Thank you

Der Beitrag ’Love Your Body’ exhibition in Madrid erschien zuerst auf Spot The Dot.