ABCDEFGSU Guide and its limitations
Melanoma has many faces and therefore is often misunderstood. These images demonstrate the evolution and changes of a lesion. The guidelines suggest that full body checks should not be performed more than once per month, as you can become too ‘overfamiliar’ with the skin and its appearance.
You can use your mole monitoring card (available to purchase) to evaluate and record your observations.
The following images are of a lesion evolving on the skin. The first image demonstrates a flat even lesion that has no remarkable features. The lesion on the second image shows signs of evolution and a dark spot is becoming visible. The last image clearly shows a change in progression, colour and size.
flat, even below 6mm.
Two colours, progressing in diameter.
Large, developing lesion, significant change in colour.
Melanoma can be symmetrical, tiny and have one consistent colour. Nodular melanoma (which are very aggressive) can also be round and have very clear defined borders. What is consistently the case with melanoma, is E for Evolution (demonstrated in the images above.) Melanoma will almost always change. It may change in shape, size, colour and sensation.
This is something that definitely should not be ignored.
