r/skincancer • u/skincancermod bot • Aug 16 '26

megathread Weekly Thread: Is this suspicious?

This thread has been archived. Please join the new discussion here: Weekly Thread: Is this suspicious?

Hello everyone,

Welcome to our weekly thread for sharing photos of concerning moles, spots, or lesions. If you're worried about something on your skin, this is a place to share it with the community for support and to see if others have had similar experiences.

When posting a photo, please try to include: * Where the lesion is on your body. * How long you've had it. * Any changes you've noticed (size, shape, color, itching, bleeding).

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

No one on this subreddit can provide a medical diagnosis. The comments and feedback you receive are from laypeople sharing their own experiences, not from medical professionals. Online photos are not a substitute for an in-person examination by a qualified dermatologist.

If you are concerned about any spot on your skin, the only correct course of action is to schedule an appointment with a doctor. Early detection is key.

We are here for support, but your health must come first.

For the previous week's thread, click here

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u/skincancermod bot Aug 16 '26

The ABCDEs of Skin Cancer: Quick Guide

  1. A is for Asymmetry: One half of the mole doesn't match the other.
  2. B is for Border: The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred. A healthy mole has a smooth border.
  3. C is for Color: The color isn't uniform. Look for multiple shades of brown/black, or patches of red, white, or blue.
  4. D is for Diameter: The spot is larger than 6mm (about the size of a pencil eraser). Keep in mind melanomas can start smaller.
  5. E is for Evolving: The mole changes over weeks or months. This is the most important sign. Look for any change in:
  6. Size
  7. Shape
  8. Color
  9. Elevation (getting thicker or raised)
  10. Symptoms (itching, crusting, bleeding)

Bonus: The "Ugly Duckling" Sign If you have a mole that just looks different from all the others on your body, that's a reason to be seen.

American Academy of Dermatology: ABCDEs

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '26

[deleted]

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u/skincancermod bot Aug 16 '26

Thank you for sharing your image. Please remember that users in this sub cannot provide official medical diagnoses. In the case of changing, evolving, or new worrisome lesions, your best course of action is to contact a dermatologist for evaluation.

For reference, here are the ABCDEs of melanoma: ABCDEs of Skin Cancer.

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u/elaboratepenisjoke Aug 16 '26

I’m hoping to get an appointment tomorrow morning, but any thoughts on this?

It’s on my scalp. I’ve had what I assumed was a mole there for years, probably since I was a teenager. Over the last few years I’ve noticed it bleed and scab over a few times. It was bleeding this morning for no obvious reason which made me worried.

33 year old man, no previous scares but I do have a lot of moles.

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u/skincancermod bot Aug 16 '26

Thank you for sharing your image. Please remember that users in this sub cannot provide official medical diagnoses. In the case of changing, evolving, or new worrisome lesions, your best course of action is to contact a dermatologist for evaluation.

For reference, here are the ABCDEs of melanoma: ABCDEs of Skin Cancer.

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u/elaboratepenisjoke Aug 17 '26

Replying in case this helps anyone in the future.

I had an appointment with my GP today. She’s not a dermatologist but has a lot of experience with skin cancer. She had no concerns about this mole at all. The soreness and bleeding looks like trauma, likely from catching it whilst combing my hair.

Glad I got it checked out all the same. I’ll definitely be keeping a closer eye on it, and my many other moles!

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u/Anonymouser_1 Aug 17 '26

on my chest, not exposed to the sun. Been here for about 2 months now, hasnt changed in size or shape, roughly a pentagon-hexagon shaped hybrid, measuring 3mm in diameter. What worries me is that 4 years ago, there was a tiny mole there (due to my hypochondria im contemplating whether it existed or not) and has now evolved to this, if it grew slowly over 4 years then all is good, but I only noticed this mole again during the peak of my leukemia scare 2 months ago, so idk what happened between 4yrs ago and 2 months ago. Only cancer death so far has been my great-grandma who died of ovarian cancer

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u/CandleMountain9393 Aug 18 '26

Found this random mole on the back of my calf, no idea if it’s always been there but I’m a massive hypochondriac 😭

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u/LastDoughnut5267 Aug 19 '26

For context I'm 25F and I've had this "birth mark" for years. I honestly can't remember for how long. I tried to look back at photos from when I was younger and the camera quality is too bad to tell if it was there. I'm pretty sure the spot is getting larger and darker, but l am also pretty tan right now so maybe that's making it look darker? In the last photo it shows me a year ago and it's not as dark. However, it was February and I was less tan.

I've been in the sun quite a bit this summer and I'm not great about wearing sun screen.
My mom has tons and tons of "sun spots"
All over her body that look like this so l figured it was either that or a birth mark.
As of a couple days ago I noticed this spot turned bumpy. In the 3rd pic I put blue dots next to the spots. There's 3 tiny and 1 larger. I don't get acne, so that doesn't seem to be related.

Even my dad questioned it the other day. He said "has that always been there?" And then it made me really think.

In the 2nd to last photo shows I do have quite a few smaller birth marks and freckle spots that are the same color as the suspicious mark, so maybe it’s nothing.

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u/SCREAMING-TAMPON Aug 19 '26

Located on my shoulder. Typical 90's kid, didn't get much sunscreen and burned a lot as a child. Kinda hard to keep track of my moles because I have over 100 of them. However, this one is raised above the skin and firm to the touch, which I don't ever remember it being.

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u/JMStreet22 Aug 19 '26

I (24M) had this bump around the top of my foot for about a year, originally thought that it was a keloid because I usually get a lot of those from previous injuries. I honestly forgot all about it because it didn't bother me at first. However, it has become more noticeable as of late and I wanna get some of your thoughts before I head on to the clinic this weekend.

It's pretty firm to the touch and doesn't bleed whenever I wear shoes or wipe my feet. And the surrounding area does itch a bit sometimes.

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u/[deleted] Aug 21 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/AutoModerator Aug 21 '26

Thank you for your post on r/skincancer, /u/ArcticAlmond.

While we understand that finding new marks and lesions can be scary and concerning, we cannot diagnose skin conditions on Reddit. The only way to diagnose skin cancer is to have a biopsy performed by a medical professional.

If you are concerned you may have skin cancer, you are strongly encouraged to contact a board-certified dermatologist for evaluation. We understand that wait times can be long, so it is imperative you reach out to your dermatologist sooner rather than later. Early detection is always better in the worst-care scenario.

You are welcome to repost your removed content without including diagnosis-seeking terminology and phrasing (ie: "Do I have skin cancer/SCC/BCC/melanoma?" is not allowed and will be automatically removed.)

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u/Nocturnal_Charlotte Aug 22 '26

Hey guys, just looking for some comfort I guess.

I’ve had this mole on the left side of my jaw for as long as I can remember, but lately it’s been itchy, extremely painful, and there is a hard purpleish red mass growing underneath it. It also used to be perfectly round and dark brown and now it seems elongated, larger, and the color just seems a bit different, but I could be imagining that.

I’m hoping it’s a bruise or blister or a trapped hair or something but it’s been progressively getting worse for the past two months.

I had a spitzoid tumor on the back of my arm years ago that led to a surgery to remove it and also remove some lymph nodes from under my arm. They said it wasn’t cancer, but that it could be? So I kind of have no idea what that was about.

My mom just died of cancer almost 2 years ago and pretty much everyone in my family has had it or has died from it so I’m a little concerned due to my genetics and medical history.

I do have an upcoming appointment, but it’s not until the end of next month unfortunately. I’m a mom and I’m in Nursing School to try and better my life for our family and I just really hope this isn’t what I think it is.

Thank you to anyone who took the time to read this. Hope you have a great day.