Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that can be treated fairly easily if it’s caught early enough. An advanced case of melanoma that has been ignored can cause serious health complications. For those who think they may have something that resembles a melanoma mark, inspect it and seek professional help ASAP.

Let the Alphabet Guide You

When checking your skin for possible signs of melanoma, use the beginning of the alphabet to help you out. “ABCDE” is an important acronym, with each letter identifying a characteristic that is prevalent in melanoma. Inspect a suspicious mole, birthmark, or freckle that have these characteristics:

A = Asymmetry

• Do you have a birthmark or mole where one-half doesn’t match the other half?

B = Border Irregularity

• Are the edges of the suspected area rigid, irregular, or blurred?

C = Color Variation

• Is the color a composition or combination of different blacks, blues, browns, reds, or even some whites?

D = Diameter

• Has the affected area grown to be larger than 6mm in size? Has it been growing since you’ve first taken notice of it?

E = Evolving

• Are the characteristics of this mole, birthmark, or freckle constantly changing? Does it itch or tingle? Is it growing to be larger or more irregularly shaped? Has it begun to bleed or develop a crust?

When your mole, birthmark, or freckle exhibits any of these signs, contact your physician immediately. For other useful tips and information, visit our blog! If you’re interested in learning more or visiting The Arbors Assisted Living community, schedule a tour by contacting one of our five convenient locations:

Bohemia
Hauppauge
Islandia East
Islandia West
Westbury