Most moles are harmless, also called beauty marks or birth marks, moles normally surface during childhood. Their numbers depend on heredity and sun exposure. Melanoma on the other hand is very serious. One in 90 North Americans will develop melanoma mostly caused by overexposure to the sun's harmful UV rays in their youth or later. If left untreated, melanoma will rapidly metasticize to the lymph nodes and various organs jeapordizing the patients life.
Early detection is as essential to early treatment and a positive outcome.
Changes in your existing moles in colour or shape or size. Appearance of blood on a mole unattributable to any injury. Use a hairdryer and a mirror to examine your entire scalp area. The palms and back of your hands, your fingernails and forarms. Elbows, arms and armpits.