What does a changing mole feel like with melanoma?

Melanoma can alter a mole's colour, outline, size, or surface. The spot may become raised, crusted, swollen, or more sensitive than nearby skin. Some melanomas are noticed because they look different from a person's other moles and cause no feeling at all. Irritation from clothing, shaving, or scratching can also make a benign mole sore, so sensation alone cannot identify the cause.

Arrange a skin assessment if a mole is changing, especially when several changes occur together or the spot is new and unusual for you. Do not pick at it or try to remove it yourself. Take a clear photograph beside a ruler and note when you first noticed the change; this can help a clinician compare its appearance over time.

Seek prompt medical advice for a mole that bleeds without clear injury, repeatedly crusts, develops an open area, or changes quickly. Get urgent help if bleeding will not stop with firm pressure, or if the surrounding skin becomes hot, very painful, and increasingly swollen.

Ask whether the mole needs dermoscopy, whether a photograph should be kept for comparison, and what changes should trigger a follow-up visit. You can also ask how a biopsy, if advised, would be performed and when results would be available.