How common is a bleeding mole in melanoma?

A mole can bleed after rubbing, shaving, scratching, or another clear injury. It can also bleed when its surface changes. Melanoma may show a changing mark with uneven colour, an irregular outline, growth, crusting, itching, or bleeding. These signs cannot diagnose melanoma by themselves, and a harmless lesion can be injured, but a new or unexplained change should not be judged from appearance alone.

If the bleeding has stopped, keep the area clean and avoid picking or shaving across it. Take a clear photograph with a simple reference for comparison and arrange a prompt skin examination, especially if the mark has changed or bleeds again. Do not burn, freeze, or remove the mole at home. A clinician may examine it closely and decide whether sampling is needed.

Seek urgent medical help if bleeding does not stop with steady gentle pressure, the area becomes rapidly swollen, or you feel faint or unwell. Arrange prompt dermatology review for repeated bleeding, a sore that does not heal, or a mole changing in size, shape, border, or colour. Urgency is driven by these changes, not by assuming what the mole is.

Ask what features were seen on examination, whether the mole needs monitoring or sampling, how to protect it from friction, and how to check the rest of your skin. Mention when bleeding began, any injury, and changes you have noticed.