Skin Cancer Signs With Pictures: What to Look For on Every Skin Tone

The main signs of skin cancer are a new spot, a spot that is changing, and a sore that does not heal. Basal cell carcinoma often looks like a shiny, pearly or pink bump; squamous cell carcinoma like a rough, scaly patch or a sore that bleeds; and melanoma like a mole that is uneven in shape or color, larger than a pencil eraser, changing, or unlike your other moles. On brown and black skin, also check the palms, soles and nails, and show any spot like this to a board-certified dermatologist.

Pori does not diagnose skin conditions and does not check moles. No app replaces a skin exam by a dermatologist. Pori's selfie scans and photo diary can help you keep dated, consistent photos of your face to show a doctor, and that is all they are for here.

What are the main types of skin cancer?

Skin cancer is common, and most of it is very treatable. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and that one in five Americans will develop it in their lifetime. There are three main types:

• Basal cell carcinoma (BCC): the most common. It grows slowly and rarely spreads, but it can damage the skin and tissue around it if left alone.
• Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC): the second most common. It often grows on sun-damaged skin and can spread if not treated.
• Melanoma: less common and more serious, because it can spread. Caught early, it is very treatable: the AAD says the five-year survival rate for melanoma found and treated before it reaches the lymph nodes is 99%.

That last number is the reason to look. Most spots you notice will turn out to be harmless, and a quick check is how you find out.

What does basal cell carcinoma look like?

BCC can take several forms. The AAD's list of signs includes:

• a firm, round, and raised growth, the most common form;
• on lighter skin, a pearly, see-through bump with tiny visible blood vessels;
• on darker skin, a bump that is often brown, black, bluish or gray;
• a round patch that dips in the center;
• a sore that doesn't heal, or heals and comes back;
• a new mark that looks like a scar.

It most often appears on the head and neck, including the nose, ears, eyelids and scalp, and on sun-exposed skin such as the chest, back, arms and lower legs.

What does squamous cell carcinoma look like?

The AAD describes SCC as a rough, scaly patch, a firm dome-shaped growth, a wart-like or horn-like growth, a sore that bleeds or heals and comes back, or a change inside a scar. It can be red or pink, brown or black, or the same color as your skin. It may itch, sting or hurt, or cause no feeling at all.

It usually grows on sun-exposed skin, often where actinic keratoses, rough precancerous spots, were already present. On skin of color, the AAD notes it can also develop on skin that gets little sun, in a scar (especially from a burn) or in a sore that has been there for months.

What are the ABCDEs of melanoma?

The ABCDE rule is the checklist dermatologists teach for moles and pigmented spots. The AAD defines it this way:

• A, asymmetry: one half of the spot is unlike the other half.
• B, border: an irregular, scalloped or poorly defined edge.
• C, color: colors that vary from one area to the next, such as tan, brown or black, or patches of white, red or blue.
• D, diameter: melanomas are usually larger than 6 millimeters, about the size of a pencil eraser, though they can be smaller.
• E, evolving: the spot looks different from the rest or is changing in size, shape or color.

The AAD also lists spots that itch or bleed. For any mole or pigmented spot with these signs, its advice is to consult your dermatologist immediately.

What is the ugly duckling sign?

Most people's moles look like one another. The ugly duckling sign is a mole that stands out from that family: darker or lighter, larger, a different shape, or a lone mole that changes while the others stay the same. It can flag a melanoma that does not tick the ABCDE boxes. In a 2008 study in Archives of Dermatology, the melanomas on patients' backs were picked out as different by most of the dermatologists and non-specialists who viewed the photos, while very few harmless moles were. Use it together with the ABCDEs, and let a dermatologist judge the spot.

What does skin cancer look like on brown and black skin?

Skin cancer is less common on darker skin, but it is often found later. The AAD says that in people with darker skin tones the cancer is often advanced by the time it's diagnosed. One reason is location: it often appears on skin that gets little sun, which people don't think to check.

• Palms and soles: a new or changing dark spot on the palm, the sole of the foot or between the toes.
• Nails: the AAD says a dark line or streak in a nail can be mistaken for a bruise. A bruise grows out with the nail; a streak that stays, widens or darkens does not.
• Mouth, lips and groin: a dark patch or a sore that doesn't heal.
• Anywhere: a spot that is growing, bleeding, itching or changing.

The melanoma subtype on palms, soles and nails is called acral lentiginous melanoma, and it is not linked to sun exposure the way most melanomas are. In a CDC analysis of US cancer data, it was the most commonly diagnosed defined histologic type among non-Hispanic Black patients, and the legs and feet were the most common sites. The same analysis found five-year melanoma survival of 66.2% for non-Hispanic Black patients compared with 90.1% for non-Hispanic white patients, a gap the authors link to later diagnosis. Earlier checks can narrow it.

Dark nail lines have many causes, and most are harmless. A dermatologist can examine a streak and tell you whether it needs a closer look. Our guide to skin analysis on darker skin tones explains why tools trained mostly on lighter skin need extra care.

What else can look like skin cancer?

Plenty of harmless spots look worrying, and a few worrying ones look harmless. This table lists common look-alikes; only an exam can tell them apart.

Our guides to seborrheic keratosis, melasma vs sun spots and signs of sun damage on the face cover the flat brown spots most people find.

Can an app tell you if a mole is skin cancer?

No app replaces a skin exam. Pori does not check moles at all. Some apps store and compare mole photos or estimate a risk level, and our review of the best mole checker apps covers what they can and can't do. A photo misses what a dermatologist uses: touch, a dermatoscope, your history and a biopsy when needed. If a spot worries you, book the visit.

You may have read that routine skin cancer screening isn't recommended. In 2023 the US Preventive Services Task Force found the evidence insufficient to recommend for or against skin exams in people with no symptoms. That statement does not apply to anyone with a suspicious spot or a personal or family history of skin cancer. A spot you are worried about is a reason to be seen.

How do you check your own skin?

The AAD recommends regular skin self-exams to detect skin cancer early. Once a month is a common habit. Use a full-length mirror, a hand mirror and good light:

1. Look at your face, ears, neck and scalp; part your hair or ask someone to help.
2. Check your chest, belly, back, buttocks and the backs of your legs.
3. Check your arms, palms, fingers and fingernails.
4. Check your legs, the soles of your feet, between your toes and your toenails.
5. Look inside your mouth and at your lips.

Photos help you notice change. Take them in the same light and at the same distance, and date them. For the face, Pori's photo diary keeps dated selfies in one place; for moles elsewhere, your phone's camera works, with a ruler or coin beside the spot for scale.

How can you lower your risk?

Most BCC, SCC and many melanomas are linked to UV exposure. The AAD recommends shade between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., sun-protective clothing, a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher reapplied every two hours outdoors, and no tanning beds. Darker skin needs sunscreen too; see our picks of sunscreens for dark skin and how much sunscreen to use.

When should you see a dermatologist about a spot?

See a board-certified dermatologist if you notice:

• a new spot, or one that is changing in size, shape or color;
• a mole with any ABCDE sign, or one that looks unlike your others;
• a spot that itches, bleeds or crusts;
• a sore that doesn't heal, or heals and comes back;
• a dark spot on a palm or sole, or a new dark streak in a nail;
• a shiny bump, a rough patch that won't go away, or a change in a scar.

If you have had skin cancer before, a weakened immune system or a family history of melanoma, ask how often you should have a full skin exam. To book one, find a dermatologist near you. Most spots that people bring in turn out to be harmless; getting them looked at is how you know.