It is important to be vigilant about the skin throughout the year. If the skin changes its appearance in any way, it may be a sign to note. The changes can include sores, unusual moles, lumps, markings, or blemishes. These are often associated with different types of skin cancer, including melanoma. So, it is important to examine the skin for any suspicious lesions and changes. Self-examination can help identify potential skin cancer early and seek treatment.

Warning signs and symptoms
One can check melanoma pictures to get a better idea of how it can look in the earlier stages. The most important warning sign of melanoma is the appearance of a new spot on the skin or a spot that is ever-changing in its color, shape, or size. The spot may look different from all the other spots on your skin and is quite odd, to say the least. This early warning sign is commonly known as the “Ugly Duckling Sign.”

The ABCDE rule is another specific warning sign of melanoma. It can be checked across melanoma pictures and is governed by five different rules to identify a potential case of melanoma. You may have skin melanoma in the following instances:

• A for Asymmetry – One half of a birthmark or a mole that does not match the other at all.
• B for Border – The edges of the mark are ragged, blurred, notched, or irregular.
• C for Color – The color of the mark does not appear to be the same throughout. It may vary and be represented in the form of different shades of black, brown, pink, blue, red, or even white.
• D for Diameter – The spot is more than 6 mm across. Melanomas can be smaller than this at times as well.
• E for Evolving – The mark keeps changing its shape, color, or size.

The treatment for melanoma differs as per the stages of the cancer. It could include antiviral medications, therapies such as immunotherapy and chemotherapy, or it could also include surgery.

It is essential to spot melanomas or non-melanoma skin cancers at their earliest. The ABCDEs strategy is the best method for the early recognition of melanoma. Once you have identified melanoma, seek immediate treatment. Melanoma pictures can help you identify a potential symptom in its early stages, so make sure you go through them and always consult a doctor when in doubt.