What should you know about melanoma sites?

Melanoma may develop on the face, scalp, neck, trunk, arms, legs, hands, feet, palms, soles, and beneath or around a nail. It can also affect skin that is usually covered. Less common forms involve the eye or mucosal surfaces, which may not be visible during a routine mirror check.

Location can influence how a lesion looks and how it is examined, but no body site rules melanoma in or out. A new or changing mark, a dark streak under a nail, or a sore that does not heal deserves assessment rather than self-diagnosis.

Use a bright room and a full-length mirror, then check the scalp, backs of the ears, back, buttocks, soles, between the toes, palms, and nails. Ask someone you trust to inspect areas you cannot see. Record a new lesion with a photograph and note changes in border, colour, size, elevation, bleeding, or sensation.

A clinician may perform dermoscopy and recommend surgical excision or skin cancer surgery. Depending on the biopsy findings, a sentinel lymph node biopsy, tumour removal surgery, immunotherapy, or structured follow-up may be discussed.

Arrange prompt review for a changing mole, a new unusual mark, a bleeding or crusted lesion, a persistent sore, or a dark nail streak that does not grow out. Seek urgent care for uncontrolled bleeding, rapidly spreading redness with fever, or new neurological symptoms such as weakness, confusion, seizures, or severe headache.

Ask whether the site changes the examination or biopsy approach, whether nearby lymph nodes need checking, and how to monitor hard-to-see areas. Ask how often to return, what photographs to keep, and which symptoms should prompt earlier contact.