Melanoma Early Detection: Spot the Signs Before It Spreads

When it comes to melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer that starts in pigment-producing cells. Also known as malignant melanoma, it spreads quickly if missed—but when caught early, it’s often completely curable. The difference between a routine check-up and a missed spot can mean the difference between a simple surgery and life-changing treatment. You don’t need a doctor to spot the first warning signs. You just need to know what to look for—and look regularly.

Mole changes, abnormal growths on the skin that can signal melanoma are the most common red flag. Look for asymmetry—where one half doesn’t match the other. Check the edges: are they ragged, blurred, or notched? Watch for color: melanomas often have multiple shades like black, brown, red, or even white. Size matters too—anything larger than a pencil eraser needs attention. And if it’s changing, itching, or bleeding? That’s not just a mole. That’s a signal.

People often ignore these signs because they assume melanoma only happens to those with fair skin or lots of sunburns. But it shows up in unexpected places—under nails, on the soles of feet, even in the eyes. It doesn’t care about your skin tone, your age, or how careful you are. What it does care about is time. The longer it goes undetected, the deeper it grows—and the harder it is to treat.

Skin self-exam, a simple monthly check of your skin using a mirror and good lighting is the most powerful tool you have. You know your body better than anyone. Take five minutes. Stand naked in front of a full-length mirror. Use a hand mirror to check your back, scalp, between toes, and behind ears. Take photos if it helps you track changes over time. Don’t wait for a doctor to find it. Find it yourself.

And don’t confuse melanoma with harmless freckles or age spots. Melanoma doesn’t fade. It evolves. It doesn’t sit still. It grows. And it doesn’t always look like the dark, ugly mole you see in ads. Some are pink. Some are flat. Some look like scars. That’s why the ABCDE rule—Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter, Evolving—is your best friend. Write it down. Stick it on your bathroom mirror.

Early detection isn’t about fear. It’s about control. You can’t control the sun, your genes, or your past. But you can control how often you look. You can control whether you ignore a new spot or check it out. You can control whether you wait for symptoms to get worse—or act before they do.

The posts below give you real, practical help: how to do a skin self-exam right, what doctors look for when they examine a mole, which skin changes are harmless and which aren’t, and how early detection has saved lives—even in people who thought they were low risk. These aren’t theories. These are stories, facts, and steps you can use today to protect yourself.