Examine the front and back of your body in the mirror, then your right and left sides with arms raised. Bend your elbows and look carefully at your forearms, upper arms, underarms, and palms. Check your back and buttocks with a hand mirror. What you are checking for are unusual-looking moles or other pigmented spots, especially changes in them, or the appearance of new growths. You should learn to recognize changes in skin growths or the appearance of new growths.
Melanomas often start as small, mole-like growths that increase in size and change color.
One half of the mole is different from the other. B Border irregularity. Edges are irregular ragged, blurred or notched C Color. The color varies from one area to another with shades of tan, brown, black, and sometimes white, red, or blue. Width is greater than six millimeters about the size of a pencil eraser.