How do I know if a mole is dangerous?
Use the ABCDE check to judge a mole. A is asymmetry. B is an irregular border. C is color that varies within one mole. D is a diameter beyond a pencil eraser. E is evolving, meaning any change in size, shape or color, or new itching and bleeding.
The strongest single signal is change. A mole that looks different from its neighbors, the ugly duckling, earns attention even if it fails the other letters.
Any evolving or bleeding mole should be examined promptly; caught early, melanoma is highly curable. Photograph suspicious spots monthly with a coin for scale so change becomes visible instead of debatable.
Source: American Academy of Dermatology, the ABCDEs of melanoma
See a doctor promptly if
- A mole or spot that is changing in size, shape or color over weeks to months
- A lesion that bleeds, crusts, itches persistently or does not heal within four weeks
- A new pigmented streak under a nail, or a dark spot on the palm, sole or inside the mouth
- A firm growing lump in the skin, or a new lump under the arm or in the groin alongside a changing mole
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Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
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