What should you know about nodular melanoma on scalp?

Hair can hide a scalp lesion, and someone else may notice it before the person affected does. A possible nodular melanoma may be a firm bump with black, brown, pink, red, or uneven colour; it may also bleed, crust, itch, or feel sore. A scalp lump is not automatically melanoma, and the appearance cannot establish the diagnosis. Examination may include parting the hair, checking the whole scalp and skin, using magnification, and removing tissue for pathology.

Ask a trusted person to check the scalp periodically and photograph a spot only to document change, not to diagnose it. Arrange prompt dermatology review for a new, growing, bleeding, crusted, or persistent bump. If melanoma is suspected or confirmed, care may include surgical removal with an appropriate margin, discussion of sentinel lymph-node biopsy, and additional treatment based on pathology and staging. Do not pick at the lesion or apply caustic products.

Seek prompt review when a scalp mark changes in weeks or remains different from surrounding lesions. Get urgent help for bleeding that will not stop with gentle pressure, rapidly spreading redness, fever, or severe pain. Sudden weakness, confusion, vision change, or a seizure requires emergency assessment; these symptoms need immediate care and cannot be interpreted as proof of a scalp melanoma.

Ask whether the lesion needs biopsy or complete excision, how hair and wound care will be managed, and what the pathology report will measure. Ask whether lymph-node assessment or imaging is appropriate and how often the scalp should be checked afterward.