Is this the beginning stage of skin cancer??
My little sister is worried about her beauty spots. There are two, on her chest and arm, and the one on her chest appears to have some reddish outline, and the one on her arm has quite irregular edges. They have remained the same size for the entirety of her life but for some reason she'd only closely examined it yesterday, and noticed these things - she doesn't know if they've always been like this. I can only upload one photo at once, so I have uploaded the one on her chest. The one on her arm looks round and small but up close the border seems a bit irregular. Could I get some help as to whether or not this seems like the starting stages of skin cancer? We are on holiday in a rural area currently so it's hard to get advice from a doctor. Thank you!
...I am so glad your sister is being vigilant about skin checks. Even those spots we have had for years need to be checked.
Irregular borders don't automatically equate to skin cancer, but they are one sign that a spot could be suspicious. I am including the link to a great tool to use during self-exams.
https://skincancer.net/clinical/abcdes-melanoma
As someone who has had all three major types of skin cancer, I can say all of my spots looked different from each other. I suggest your sister make an appointment to see a dermatologist for a skin exam. They may decide to perform a biopsy while she is there.
I want to share that my daughter had a mole on her neck from birth. It hadn't changed, but it did seem to be getting bigger. On her first visit to the dermatologist, it was biopsied. It turned out to be nothing serious, but I am glad we had it checked--just in case.
Please keep us updated, and don't hesitate to reach out any time!
April, SkinCancer.net, Moderator
