What are some signs of skin cancer and how do you know what a mole is?

Yesterday I went to an amusement park and even though I was wearing a t-shirt, the little freckle thing (I don%26#039;t know if it is a moe because it is small yet it is bumpy like braile) on my shoulder seems to be bigger and it is more darker. The skin around my freckel is peeling, and I don%26#039;t know how I could of been burnt since it doesn%26#039;t hurt or anything. Please help!!!!





I%26#039;ll add any questions you type in as details... PLEASE!|||Remember the basic A,B,C%26#039;s of skin cancer:





A: Asymmetry. One half of the mole doesn%26#039;t match the other half.


B: Border irregularity. The edges are ragged, notched, or blurred.


C: Color. The pigmentation is not uniform. Shades of tan, brown, and black are present. Dashes of red, white, and blue add to the mottled appearance. Changes in color distribution, especially the spread of color from the edge of a mole into the surrounding skin, also are an early sign of melanoma.


D: Diameter. The mole or skin growth is larger than 6 mm, or about the size of a pencil eraser. Any growth of a mole should be of concern.





I%26#039;ve had skin cancer removed from my nose that was about the size of a pencil eraser. Not a big deal at all. You should see a doctor who can tell you whether you should be concerned or not.|||As another person wrote - the ABCDs.


Also, any CHANGE to an existing mole and/or freckle is cause to watch closely. With the peeling, darkness and size change I%26#039;d definitely get it checked out.


If it really is suspect, they%26#039;ll most likely plan to do a biopsy which will actually cut the mole/freckle out.


Two of the types of biopsies are hole punch and excision.


Hole punch is when they cut in and pull out a %26quot;plug%26quot; like what%26#039;s leff after a paper-hold bunch does its thing. Just deeper.


I had it done to one on my thigh some years ago, and although yeah it smarted a bit, ti wasn%26#039;t bad (local anesthesia). Turned out negative, thank goodness.





Do get it checked by your primary care doc or a dermatologist soon, though, just in case. Time is your best ally, but can also be your worst enemy if you let it slip by.





Good luck!|||Seventeen magazine wrote an article about skin cancer. There is a 16 year old girl who had melanoma in the article and she has a My Space website with pictures and details about skin cancer in teens. You can take a look at her site for more information:





Kelli: Skin Care Awareness


http://www.myspace.com/skincancerawarene鈥?/a>|||see your dermatologist. always use sunscreen.