Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and can spread to affect other areas of the body if it is not treated early.
Melanoma usually presents as a brown, purple or black, raised skin lump typically 1-2cm in size. Sometimes they can be pink with only a very small amount of pigment contained within them.
Any changing skin blemish particularly if it is dark, should be viewed as a potential melanoma and should be assessed by a specialist, you can use
'consult the specialist' here now if you are worried.
Melanoma can appear as a darker extension or growth within an existing mole - but sometimes it can appear as a pink or fleshy growth rather than a darker area.
Melanoma
A rarer type of melanoma (called Acral Melanoma) is the type that affects the skin beneath the toe nail - this can sometimes be mistaken for fungal infection for months - the clue is pigment leaking onto the surrounding skin.
Yet another type of melanoma is called
Lentigo Maligna Melanoma - this arises on the skin usually of the face - and appears as a dark area within a paler lentigo. They can be very slowly progressive and any change can be difficult to monitor.
Self Observation and Mole awareness - watch the video below for my tips on how you can monitor your skin.