What do early cancerous moles look like?
The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred. The color is not the same all over and may include shades of brown or black, sometimes with patches of pink, red, white, or blue. The spot is larger than ¼ inch across – about the size of a pencil eraser – although melanomas can sometimes be smaller than this.
What does a raised melanoma look like?
Most nodular melanomas will appear as a blackish-blue, dark brown, or reddish-blue bump. Some nodular melanoma nodules will have no color or will be flesh toned. Diameter. Bumps or growths that are more than 6 millimeters in diameter or that continue to grow should get checked out by a doctor.
What color are cancerous moles?
Malignant melanoma, which starts out as a mole, is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, killing almost 10,000 people each year. The majority of melanomas are black or brown, but they can be almost any color; skin-colored, pink, red, purple, blue or white. Melanomas are caused mainly by intense UV exposure.
Are melanomas flat or raised?
The most common type of melanoma usually appears as a flat or barely raised lesion with irregular edges and different colours. Fifty per cent of these melanomas occur in preexisting moles.
When should I worry about a mole?
It’s important to get a new or existing mole checked out if it: changes shape or looks uneven. changes colour, gets darker or has more than 2 colours. starts itching, crusting, flaking or bleeding.
How big is too big for a mole?
Look for new growth in a mole larger than 1/4 inch (about 6 millimeters). E is for evolving. Watch for moles that change in size, shape, color or height, especially if part or all of a mole turns black. Moles may also evolve to develop new signs and symptoms, such as itchiness or bleeding.
What does a pigmented mole look like?
Pigmented nevi (moles) are growths on the skin that usually are flesh-colored, brown or black. Moles can appear anywhere on the skin, alone or in groups. Moles occur when cells in the skin grow in a cluster instead of being spread throughout the skin.