Other Warning Signs
Not all melanomas (or other kinds of skin cancers) are going to follow the ABCDE rule perfectly. There are other signs to be aware of as well:
• Sores that don’t heal
• Pimples that do not go away
• A sudden new patch of skin that looks like an age spot
• Pigments from the border of a mole that spreads out into the skin
• Redness or swelling around the mole’s border that is painful and/or inflamed
• Any changes in sensation around the mole, such as tenderness, itchiness, or aching
• Surface changes to the mole, such as bleeding, oozing, scaliness, or lumps and bumps
• Spots underneath your nails. Melanomas can develop under the hard nail in the matrix and look like brown spots beneath the fingernail, similar to dried blood after stubbing a toe.
