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Early signs of melanoma

SkinVision helps you detect early signs of skin cancer. Download it now and start checking your skin.

Melanoma stages

Melanoma is diagnosed through a staging system with different outcomes and treatments advised for each stage. Melanoma stages range from one to four, with four being the most advanced stage, where it has spread to distant lymph nodes or other organs. In stages one and two, when early signs of melanoma are present, melanoma is only present in the skin and hasn’t spread deeper throughout the body yet. In stages three and four, melanoma has spread or metastasized to other areas.

Symptoms of early signs of melanoma

The symptoms for stage one and two melanoma usually begin with the development of a typical mole or skin lesion. While melanoma usually appears on the skin as a new spot or growth or a change in an already existing mole, in some cases, it can also occur on otherwise normal-looking skin spots.

Understanding which moles or lesions are cause for concern is key to stay on top of your skin health. There are several signs that a mole or growth is becoming cancerous. A potentially cancerous mole will typically display these early signs of melanoma:

  • getting bigger or swelling
  • strangely shaped (ie. not round)
  • irregular borders
  • many different colors or shades
  • bigger than the size of a pencil eraser in diameter
  • appeared recently (when you are an adult)
  • changing surface texture
  • looks different than other moles or spots around it
  • develops a crust or a scab
  • sometimes bleeds
  • is itchy
  • feels tender

In rarer forms of melanoma, the symptoms can look a little different.

Sometimes melanoma will also occur in more hidden places, such as:

  • a dark streak under a toe or fingernail, or on the palms or soles of the feet
  • an area of dark skin around a toenail or fingernail
  • a slow-developing plaque of skin that resembles a scar
  • a new patch or spot on your skin that looks like an age spot
  • a dark spot on the iris or vision problems
  • a sore that won’t heal in the mouth, nasal passage or the genital area

For more information on how melanoma looks like, check our photo library.

SkinVision Customer Stories

Marcel Rila
Marcel

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"For people with spots on their skin, it’s indispensable. Why go to the doctor every time or just ignore it?"
Melanie Okkerse
Melanie

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"SkinVision is my guardian angel. Without it, I wouldn’t know where I’d be today."
Arjan Both
Arjan

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"To others, I would like to say: ‘If you have a spot, even if you think it’s nothing, take a picture and send it in.’"
Melanie Pemberton
Melanie

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

"Today I am sharing my story because I want to encourage people to get their skin checked."
Michel Plass
Michel

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"Without SkinVision, I might never have gone to the doctor until it was too late."
Pascalle Soer
Pascalle

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"I downloaded SkinVision because I had a mole I wasn’t entirely sure about."
Marcel Rila
Marcel

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"For people with spots on their skin, it’s indispensable. Why go to the doctor every time or just ignore it?"
Melanie Okkerse
Melanie

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"SkinVision is my guardian angel. Without it, I wouldn’t know where I’d be today."
Arjan Both
Arjan

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"To others, I would like to say: ‘If you have a spot, even if you think it’s nothing, take a picture and send it in.’"
Melanie Pemberton
Melanie

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

"Today I am sharing my story because I want to encourage people to get their skin checked."
Michel Plass
Michel

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"Without SkinVision, I might never have gone to the doctor until it was too late."
Pascalle Soer
Pascalle

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"I downloaded SkinVision because I had a mole I wasn’t entirely sure about."
Marcel Rila
Marcel

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"For people with spots on their skin, it’s indispensable. Why go to the doctor every time or just ignore it?"
Melanie Okkerse
Melanie

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"SkinVision is my guardian angel. Without it, I wouldn’t know where I’d be today."
Arjan Both
Arjan

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"To others, I would like to say: ‘If you have a spot, even if you think it’s nothing, take a picture and send it in.’"
Melanie Pemberton
Melanie

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

"Today I am sharing my story because I want to encourage people to get their skin checked."
Michel Plass
Michel

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"Without SkinVision, I might never have gone to the doctor until it was too late."
Pascalle Soer
Pascalle

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"I downloaded SkinVision because I had a mole I wasn’t entirely sure about."
Marcel Rila
Marcel

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"For people with spots on their skin, it’s indispensable. Why go to the doctor every time or just ignore it?"
Melanie Okkerse
Melanie

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"SkinVision is my guardian angel. Without it, I wouldn’t know where I’d be today."
Arjan Both
Arjan

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"To others, I would like to say: ‘If you have a spot, even if you think it’s nothing, take a picture and send it in.’"
Melanie Pemberton
Melanie

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

"Today I am sharing my story because I want to encourage people to get their skin checked."
Michel Plass
Michel

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"Without SkinVision, I might never have gone to the doctor until it was too late."
Pascalle Soer
Pascalle

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"I downloaded SkinVision because I had a mole I wasn’t entirely sure about."
Ellen Suetens
Ellen

Belgium 🇧🇪

"Just use the tool as soon as you think something might be wrong. It’s the first step to quickly seeking help if needed."
Rob Wammes
Rob

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"When I hear people around me talking about checking moles, I recommend SkinVision to them."
Brenda Corbeek
Brenda

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"I asked my daughter to take a photo and send it to SkinVision. I received advice almost immediately to consult a doctor within four weeks."
Sally Ann Meadows
Sally

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

"The SkinVision app, I think, should be available to everybody. Especially these days with constraints on doctors’ time."
Tom Freriks
Tom

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"Its strength lies in how easy it is to use."
Marie Therese
Marie

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"You can tell that real people are behind the app, not just a machine or robot."
Ellen Suetens
Ellen

Belgium 🇧🇪

"Just use the tool as soon as you think something might be wrong. It’s the first step to quickly seeking help if needed."
Rob Wammes
Rob

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"When I hear people around me talking about checking moles, I recommend SkinVision to them."
Brenda Corbeek
Brenda

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"I asked my daughter to take a photo and send it to SkinVision. I received advice almost immediately to consult a doctor within four weeks."
Sally Ann Meadows
Sally

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

"The SkinVision app, I think, should be available to everybody. Especially these days with constraints on doctors’ time."
Tom Freriks
Tom

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"Its strength lies in how easy it is to use."
Marie Therese
Marie

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"You can tell that real people are behind the app, not just a machine or robot."
Ellen Suetens
Ellen

Belgium 🇧🇪

"Just use the tool as soon as you think something might be wrong. It’s the first step to quickly seeking help if needed."
Rob Wammes
Rob

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"When I hear people around me talking about checking moles, I recommend SkinVision to them."
Brenda Corbeek
Brenda

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"I asked my daughter to take a photo and send it to SkinVision. I received advice almost immediately to consult a doctor within four weeks."
Sally Ann Meadows
Sally

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

"The SkinVision app, I think, should be available to everybody. Especially these days with constraints on doctors’ time."
Tom Freriks
Tom

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"Its strength lies in how easy it is to use."
Marie Therese
Marie

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"You can tell that real people are behind the app, not just a machine or robot."
Ellen Suetens
Ellen

Belgium 🇧🇪

"Just use the tool as soon as you think something might be wrong. It’s the first step to quickly seeking help if needed."
Rob Wammes
Rob

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"When I hear people around me talking about checking moles, I recommend SkinVision to them."
Brenda Corbeek
Brenda

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"I asked my daughter to take a photo and send it to SkinVision. I received advice almost immediately to consult a doctor within four weeks."
Sally Ann Meadows
Sally

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

"The SkinVision app, I think, should be available to everybody. Especially these days with constraints on doctors’ time."
Tom Freriks
Tom

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"Its strength lies in how easy it is to use."
Marie Therese
Marie

Netherlands 🇳🇱

"You can tell that real people are behind the app, not just a machine or robot."

Every skin has a story. What will yours be?

Read all our customer stories

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