How is melanoma different in outdoor workers?

Outdoor work can involve long periods in sunlight, including exposure to the ears, face, neck, forearms, hands, and scalp. Clothing may leave gaps, and sweat or dust can make a changing mark harder to notice. Melanoma can also develop on covered skin, so a check should include the trunk, legs, soles, nails, and between the fingers and toes. A new or changing dark mark, uneven colour, irregular outline, or lesion that differs from others needs attention.

Use shade when possible and wear tightly woven protective clothing, a broad-brimmed hat, and suitable eye protection. Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen to uncovered skin and reapply as directed, particularly after sweating. Make skin checks part of a regular routine, using a mirror or help for the scalp, back, and other hard-to-see areas. Keep a note or photograph of a mark only to support comparison, not to delay an examination.

Arrange a dermatology assessment for a new or changing mole or mark, especially if it bleeds, crusts, itches persistently, or does not heal. Seek earlier advice when a lesion is rapidly changing or looks unlike the rest of your marks. Do not wait for pain: melanoma can be present without discomfort, and a workplace skin check cannot replace clinical assessment.

Ask which marks need monitoring, how to examine hard-to-see areas, and whether your work exposure changes the recommended follow-up. Discuss protective clothing for your job, sunscreen that suits sweating, and whether a suspicious lesion needs dermoscopy or removal.