A-Asymmetry. Melanomas have odd shapes to them.
B-Borders. Melanomas have ragged or obscure borders. Harmless moles usually have a nice sharp border with surrounding skin.
C-Color. Melanomas frequently have odd pigmentation;they can be dark brown to black with speckles of red or even blue. They also tend to crust, scab and bleed.
D-Diameter. Usually, melanomas are greater than 6mm in circumference;a good measuring stick?-a pencil eraser!
E-Expansion. Melanomas tend to grow!
As you probably know, those of us with light complexions are at greatest risk(but that does not exempt dark skinned people...think Bob Marley
) Be sure to apply sunscreen with SPF 15 at least 30 minutes before sun exposure. Wear a hat! And for goodness sake, if you have a baby or child, please take the time to protect them from sunburn...they depend on you to guard their skin, and recurrent sunburns are a known risk factor for developing skin cancer. If you are concerned about an odd spot on your skin, please, please, PLEASE show your family physician as skin cancers caught early are curable with a simple excision. Left untreated, melanoma will spread, require intensive treatments and can be fatal!
