Skin cancer vs harmless spots: Do you know how to spot the difference?

What do skin cancers look like? Some spots on the skin are nothing to worry about, but others can be deadly if not detected and treated early. When it comes to the successful treatment of skin cancer—particularly melanoma— early detection is critical. To give yourself the best chance of catching skin cancer in its early stages, you need to know what to look out for.

There is no definitive description of what skin cancer looks like, so becoming familiar with your own skin and regularly self-checking your body for signs of change is the best way to catch skin cancer early. Keep an eye on spots that look different to others on your body, spots that have changed in size, shape, colour or texture, and sores that itch, bleed, or don’t heal. If you notice any of these signs, see your doctor and seek their expert opinion.

Types of cancerous spots

There are three common types of skin cancers—basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. What do these skin cancers look like? They can all look quite different. Below are some examples of each kind for your reference:

Basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) accounts for about 70 per cent of all keratinocyte cancers (or non-melanoma skin cancer) diagnoses. These types of skin cancers grow slowly over months or years and having one BCC increases your risk of developing another.

BCC usually develops on sun-exposed areas, although they can appear anywhere on the body. You might first notice it as a pearly or shiny lump, or scaly area that is pale fleshy tone, pink or darker red in colour. This type of cancerous spot can become inflamed and ulcerate, and some seem to partially heal then flare up again.

See your doctor if you suspect you have a BCC.

Squamous cell carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) accounts for about 30 per cent of remaining  keratinocyte cancer diagnoses. These skin cancers can grow very quickly over the course of weeks or months, and are more common as you get older. Although rare, they do have the ability to spread if not treated early, particularly if on the face.

SCC usually develops on sun-exposed areas, although they can appear anywhere on the body. You might first notice it as either a thickened red, scaly or crusted spot, or a rapidly-growing lump. You may notice this type of cancerous spot bleeds and becomes inflamed and is often tender to touch.

See your doctor if you suspect you have SCC.

Melanoma

Melanoma is not as common as BCC or SCC, but it is considered the most serious as it is more likely to spread if not caught early.

Melanoma can develop anywhere on the body, so it’s important to check those places not often exposed to the sun. You might first notice melanoma as a new spot or existing spot that has changed in colour, shape or size over several weeks or months. It can have either a flat or raised surface and may have an irregular border. Melanomas can also be more than one colour.

Despite being the least common type of skin cancer, melanoma causes the greatest number of skin cancer deaths and is the most common cancer diagnosed in young Australians aged 12-24 years.

See your doctor if you suspect you have a melanoma.

Nodular melanoma

This is a fast-growing and aggressive form of melanoma that can spread quickly into the lower layer of the skin and so early detection is particularly critical.

Nodular melanoma appears as a round, raised lump (dome-shaped nodule) on the surface of the skin that is pink, red, brown or black and feels firm to touch. It may develop a crusty surface that bleeds easily.

Don’t delay in seeing your doctor if you suspect you have a nodular melanoma.

Other skin spots to watch

There are a number of other skin spots that should not be ignored. Although they are non-cancerous, they may act as an indicator of increased risk or warning signs for skin cancer and should be monitored for changes.

Moles

Moles are very common, normal growths on the skin. If you have many moles on your body, it may run in your family, or you may have developed them as a result of increased time spent in the sun, particularly during childhood.

Moles are either brown, black, or skin coloured. They most often have a defined oval shape.

Moles have a small risk of developing into melanoma, however individuals with large number of moles are at greater risk of developing melanoma. Observe moles carefully for any sign of change.

Dysplastic naevi

A dysplastic naevus is a type of mole with an irregular shape and uneven colour. It may be known as an atypical naevus or mole. People with many of these spots have a greater risk of developing melanoma. It is particularly important to look for changes in dysplastic naevus as a small number of them may develop into melanoma.

If you suspect you have multiple dysplastic naevi, see your doctor about determining a suitable surveillance plan.

Solar keratosis

Solar keratoses also known as sunspots or actinic keratoses, are flat, scaly spots that feel rough to the touch and are either skin coloured or red. They are most common in people over 40 and on skin that’s often exposed to the sun.

Sunspots are a warning sign that you’ve spent too much time in the sun unprotected and may indicate that you have a higher risk of developing skin cancer in the future. If left untreated, can develop into squamous cell carcinoma.

See your doctor if you suspect you have sunspots to determine a suitable surveillance plan.

Seborrheic keratosis

A harmless spot with a discrete edge that looks like it sits on top of the skin or appear like a wart. Most people have at least one or two of these spots by the age of 60.

Seborrheic keratoses can vary in colour from pale brown to orange or black, and vary in size from a few millimetres to 20 millimetres.

Protecting your skin and your DNA from overexposure to UV radiation is the best way to reduce your skin cancer risk, as nearly all cases are caused by overexposure to UV, or spending ‘too much time in the sun’ unprotected. Damage from UV radiation adds up over time during our daily activities, often without us noticing which is why it is important to protect your skins DNA in five ways— slip, slop, slap, seek and slide—whenever you’re outside when the UV is 3 and above.

Learn more about how to check your skin for early signs of cancer, and follow Cancer Council SA over summer to learn more about UV radiation and skin cancer prevention.

Photos courtesy of Dr Gerry Considine and DermNet

How to Spot Skin Cancer

Published on:
April 9, 2020

Written by:

Stacy Simon

Senior Editor, News

Skin cancer is by far the most common type of cancer. If you know what to look for, you can spot warning signs of skin cancer early. Finding it early, when it’s small and has not spread, makes skin cancer much easier to treat.

Some doctors and other health care professionals include skin exams as part of routine health check-ups. Many doctors also recommend that you check your own skin about once a month. Look at your skin in a well-lit room in front of a full-length mirror. Use a hand-held mirror to look at areas that are hard to see.

Use the “ABCDE rule” to look for some of the common signs of melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer:

Asymmetry
One part of a mole or birthmark doesn’t match the other.

Border
The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred.

Color
The color is not the same all over and may include shades of brown or black, sometimes with patches of pink, red, white, or blue.

Diameter
The spot is larger than ¼ inch across – about the size of a pencil eraser – although melanomas can sometimes be smaller than this.

Evolving
The mole is changing in size, shape, or color.

Basal and squamous cell skin cancers are more common than melanomas, but they are usually very treatable.

Both basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, or cancers, usually grow on parts of the body that get the most sun, such as the face, head, and neck. But they can show up anywhere. 

Basal cell carcinomas: what to look for:

• Flat, firm, pale or yellow areas, similar to a scar
• Raised reddish patches that might be itchy
• Small translucent, shiny, pearly bumps that are pink or red and which might have blue, brown, or black areas
• Pink growths with raised edges and a lower area in their center, which might have abnormal blood vessels spreading out like the spokes of a wheel
• Open sores (that may have oozing or crusted areas) and which don’t heal, or heal and then come back

Squamous cell carcinomas: what to look for:

• Rough or scaly red patches, which might crust or bleed
• Raised growths or lumps, sometimes with a lower area in the center
• Open sores (that may have oozing or crusted areas) and which don’t heal, or heal and then come back
• Wart-like growths

Not all skin cancers look like these descriptions, though. Point out anything you’re concerned about to your doctor, including:

• Any new spots
• Any spot that doesn’t look like others on your body
• Any sore that doesn’t heal
• Redness or new swelling beyond the border of a mole
• Color that spreads from the border of a spot into surrounding skin
• Itching, pain, or tenderness in an area that doesn’t go away or goes away then comes back
• Changes in the surface of a mole: oozing, scaliness, bleeding, or the appearance of a lump or bump

The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team

Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.

• Skin self-exam guide
• Images of skin cancer and non-cancer growths

American Cancer Society news stories are copyrighted material and are not intended to be used as press releases. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.

Age spots on the face and body

Age spots on the face and body – causes of skin pigmentation and freckles, treatment, reviews, photos before after

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Article updated on 05/28/2023

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Issues addressed: skin pigmentation – white, brown pigment spots on the skin of the face, décolleté, hands. How to get rid of freckles?

This is a useful article. Thank you!

The reasons can be different, from excessive tanning to age-related changes.

Most often, our doctors deal with post-inflammatory skin pigmentation, such as age spots after acne, pimples and scars.

In second place is the work with pigmentation obtained after the sun or a solarium: lentigo, chloasma, melasma – all these are pigment spots arising from excess UV radiation.

Cosmetologist, chief physician

Ratkevich Marina Vladimirovna

Pigmented (white and dark) spots on the skin of the face can also form after operations, intensive peels and laser resurfacing, if there were violations in the process of skin care after the procedures.

Dark spots on the skin (melasma) may occur during pregnancy. At the same time, after the end of taking hormonal drugs, age spots often disappear on their own, but they can also return under the influence of the sun.

First of all, it is important to say: no technique can guarantee 100% that age spots on the skin will disappear forever. Many types of pigmentation are associated with chronic diseases of the liver and nervous system.

Cosmetologist

Borzenkova Anna Vladimirovna

However, there are well-established protocols to achieve a permanent whitening effect. At the same time, a home skin care regimen with special products is a must. The doctor will select for you a whitening preparation for home care for 3-6 months. Don’t be surprised if your doctor asks you to get tested, because trace elements need to be tested to successfully treat pigmentation.

The results of the removal of age spots are especially noticeable after the phototherapy procedure on the Harmony-Pro device. No less effective are laser removal of age spots using Fraxel Re:store or Clear & Brilliant with applicator PERMEA (more about pigmentation treatment with laser C&B ).

Popular chemical peels are good for lightening superficial pigmentation. The compositions of peels are very diverse, from mandelic acid for moderate pigmentation to Jessner peel or retinoic peel (yellow peel) for deep pigmentation.

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For pigmentation-prone skin, it is especially important to provide reliable sun protection all year round. To look perfect you will be helped by means that suppress the production of melatonin – sunscreen cosmetics TIZO .

In our clinic, doctors will select you products with a high active concentration of ingredients such as vitamin C and retinol . For example, the professional Canadian brand Rejudicare offers several retinol products in various0003

Preparation of the skin for the removal of age spots included home care for 2 weeks.

1) Daily care for pigmentation, which includes the following regimen:

– Whitening cream Illumin Cream RejudiCare is applied to pre-cleansed skin in the morning. Unlike other whitening products, the cream preserves the lipid barrier of the skin, that is, there is no need to add moisturizers to the care. After a month of application, the skin not only evens out in color, but also acquires a porcelain glow.

– In the evening, apply retinol cream Retinol SRX RejudiCare to the skin. The cream is very active, you need to apply it in the evening. It accelerates the exfoliation of cells, which allows you to quickly get rid of pigmentation, and also affects the formation of the pigment itself in the cells.

2) Laser procedure Laser Clear & Brilliant with special applicator Permea .

3) If the patient wants to get rid of age spots as quickly as possible, the doctor may decide to use stronger methods of treatment Laser Fraxel ;

With a tendency to skin pigmentation – permanently. Age spots are formed during melanogenesis, and whitening cosmetics contain substances that act on different stages of this process.

For example, if you have chosen cosmetics with arbutin, then you can safely use it for about a year. A year later, it is necessary to change not only the line of cosmetics, but also the active substance itself. So you can influence the various stages of pigment formation in the skin.

Freckles give a unique charm, and many do not consider them a skin defect. But if the question “How to get rid of freckles?” is relevant for you, just use superficial peeling – AHA acids, salicylic peeling, etc. And, of course, provide good sun protection.

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Age spots treatment

#Injection cosmetology#Hardware cosmetology#Care programs#Face

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Age spots are benign formations that have an irregular shape and a non-uniform shade. In humans, they occur on the face and open areas of the body. Their appearance often worsens the appearance of the skin, contributes to the formation of complexes. Dermatologists from the Swiss rejuvenation center Versua Clinic in Moscow will tell about their types, causes and methods of dealing with an aesthetic defect.

What causes senile hyperpigmentation of the skin?

You may first encounter unattractive spots at the age of 55-60. These formations disturb patients for the following reasons:

• a feeling of neglect;
• emphasis on age;
• suspected risks of developing oncology.

Age-related pigmentation occurs only on exposed areas of the face and body that are repeatedly exposed to UV exposure. Their appearance is due to the following reasons:

• slow metabolism;
• presence of chronic systemic pathologies;
• hormonal disorders;
• violation of melanin transport.

Types of age-related hyperpigmentation of the skin

As a rule, the diameter of the formations does not exceed 1 cm. However, over the years they can increase, their number can also increase. Sometimes the surface of the spot becomes inhomogeneous. For example, crusts, roughness, plaques may appear on it.

Raised dark brown patches most often appear:

• on the arms. You can observe them on the back of the hand;
• on the face. The formations are found on the temples, near the mouth,
• on the body. You can mark elements on the forearm, shoulders, neck, back.

There are two types of spots:

• lentigo is a hypermelanosis that occurs due to prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation on the skin. It appears as flat brown spots with blurred borders. This indicates damage to the deep layers of the skin;
• Keratosis is a skin disease that presents as brown to dark brown patches on the skin. They rise above the healthy epidermis, have a greasy surface, and are covered with horny scales. When treating pigmentation, it is important to consult with an oncologist regularly because of the risks of oncology.

How is age spots treated?

The method of therapy is chosen according to the clinical picture after a preliminary consultation with a cosmetologist. At the appointment, he will definitely collect an anamnesis. To eliminate risks to your health, special attention is paid to contraindications to a particular procedure. You may be recommended:

• phototherapy with M22. This is a hardware procedure, during which an impulse acts on the cells that produce melanin. After absorption, light energy is converted into heat. As a result, melanocytes are destroyed naturally. Treatment of age-related age spots on the skin using the M22 device allows you to get a lasting therapeutic effect. In this case, the shade of pigmentation and its size does not play a role. The result is noticeable from the first procedure, but it depends on the depth of the pigment, the size of the spot. A course of sessions is often required;
• photothermolysis on the Fraxel apparatus (“Fraxel”). Allows you to achieve a stable therapeutic effect in several procedures. Pigmentation treatment includes a course of 3-5 sessions. After treatment, the spots will darken, and then become lighter. A special nozzle of the installation breaks the beam into microbeams, arranged in a certain order. When treated by a competent doctor, the risks of burns are excluded;
• mesotherapy. Treatment of age spots with this method of modern cosmetology is quite effective. It acts purposefully on the spot, activates blood circulation. The choice of a cocktail is carried out by the doctor on the basis of the clinical picture and the collected history. Mesotherapy is performed with preliminary local anesthesia. According to patients, this minimizes discomfort during injection. The rehabilitation period is minimal;
• peels. Azelaic, glycolic, mandelic acids effectively lighten age spots. They act on both superficial and deep layers of the skin. They start the renewal of epidermal cells. Peelings effectively even out skin tone, help to make other signs of age less pronounced. Treatment of age spots with peels is recommended if you have large enough lentigo spots. However, it should be passed in the autumn-winter period: at this time the sun becomes less active;
• home care products. For example, your doctor may recommend cosmeceuticals with brightening, exfoliating effects, as well as products containing antioxidants. In the autumn-winter period, products with retinoids, derivatives of vitamin A, have proven themselves well. They slow down the transport of pigment in the skin, normalize cell renewal, activate keratogenesis, and work as conductors for other active ingredients. To avoid unwanted effects, the Versua Clinic cosmetologist will correctly select the percentage of retinoids in the product and the application scheme. As a rule, it is used at night. In the morning, it is extremely important to apply products with a high sun protection factor to the skin. It is important to understand that the work of retinoids is physiological. Therefore, you can notice the first result only after a month of regular use. It will take at least 6-8 months to achieve a lasting correction effect.

After the procedure, do not forget to follow the rehabilitation rules that the doctor will tell you about. Use SPF regularly to help prevent new stains.

For the treatment of solar hyperkeratosis, contact the Swiss Rejuvenation Center Versua Clinic. You will be treated by doctors with extensive clinical experience.

List of sources

• https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/seboreynyy-keratoz-klinicheskie-osobennosti-i-assotsiatsiya-s-virusom-papillomy-cheloveka-roda/viewer
• https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/giperpigmentatsiya-kozhi-sovremennye-vzglyady-na-etiologiyu-i-pathogenez-chast-1/viewer
• https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/seboreynyy-keratoz-kak-neizmennyy-sputnik-stareniya-sovremennyy-vzglyad-na-etiologiyu-i-patogenez/viewer

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What causes age-related hyperpigmentation of the skin? Types of age-related hyperpigmentation of the skin How is age spots treated? List of sources

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