The ABC's of Melanoma

Naturally, we worry about the physical affects from the sun such as wrinkles and darks spots, but the sun does a lot more serious damage than that. Scary statistic: Melanoma is one of the most common cancers found in young adults - one person dies from it every hour. We asked Jacq’s mom, a certified Dermatologist (we call her Derm-mom) to give us the low down of what we should look for to prevent or catch melanoma in its early stages. They call it the ABC’s of melanoma, which is a simplified way of remembering to check you moles! #checkyourmoles

A- Asymmetry. If the mole is lopsided it is more worrisome.
B- Borders - If moles are spiked, scalloped or irregular it is more worrisome. You want to have a round or oval shaped mole.
C- Color- If it is a mixture of color it is more concerning. Should be one solid color.
D-Diameter- More worrisome if the mole is bigger than 6 millimeters (pencil eraser size). However even a small mole could be melanoma.
E-Evolving- If you have a new or changing mole you should get it checked out (Most important one).

Jacq’s mom, Dr. Fisher has been a practicing dermatologist for 20+ years. She is currently practicing at the Dermatology Associates of the Bay Area.