Melanoma typically appears as an unusual mole or spot that looks different from the other marks on your skin. It can be flat or raised, and it often has an uneven shape, irregular edges, and a mix of colors ranging from brown and black to blue, red, or even pink. Some melanomas don’t follow the classic dark appearance at all, which is why knowing the full range of visual signs matters.
The ABCDE Rule
The most widely used framework for spotting a suspicious mole checks five features:
- Asymmetry: One half of the mole doesn’t match the other. A normal mole is roughly symmetrical.
- Border: The edges are ragged, notched, or blurred rather than smooth. Pigment may spread into the surrounding skin.
- Color: There’s more than one shade. You might see brown, tan, and black mixed together, or patches of white, gray, red, pink, or blue within the same spot.
- Diameter: Most melanomas are larger than 6 millimeters across, roughly the size of a pencil eraser. But they can start smaller.
- Evolving: The mole has changed in size, shape, or color over the past few weeks or months.
Not every melanoma will check all five boxes, and some benign moles may check one or two. The “E” is often the most telling feature. A mole that’s changing, especially one that’s growing or developing new colors, deserves a closer look regardless of what the other letters say.
The Ugly Duckling Sign
Most people’s moles share a family resemblance. They tend to be similar in size, shape, and color. The ugly duckling sign is simple: if one mole stands out as clearly different from all the others on your body, that outlier is worth having examined. This approach is especially useful when a spot doesn’t fit neatly into the ABCDE criteria but still looks “off” compared to its neighbors.
The Most Common Type: Superficial Spreading Melanoma
The majority of melanomas are the superficial spreading type. These start as flat or slightly raised brown spots with irregular, asymmetric borders, often larger than 6 millimeters. You’ll typically see a mix of brown, black, blue, or pink within the same lesion. They grow outward across the skin’s surface for months or even years before growing deeper, which means there’s usually a window to catch them early. On the skin, they can look like an oddly shaped freckle that keeps expanding.
Nodular Melanoma
Nodular melanoma is more aggressive and looks different from the start. Instead of spreading outward, it grows downward into the skin soon after it appears. It typically shows up as a raised, dome-shaped bump that’s dark brown to black. Some people describe it as looking like a blood blister or a small dark berry on the skin. About 5% of nodular melanomas have little to no pigment, making them even harder to recognize. Because this type grows quickly, any new raised bump that’s dark, firm, and growing over a period of weeks should be evaluated promptly.
Melanoma on Palms, Soles, and Nails
Acral lentiginous melanoma develops in places most people don’t think to check: the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, and under the nails. On the palms or soles, it appears as a dark brown or black patch that may resemble a bruise or stain. Unlike an actual bruise, it doesn’t fade over time. Instead, it grows.
Under a fingernail or toenail, melanoma usually appears as a dark vertical streak running from the base of the nail to the tip. The streak is typically brown or black and may be irregularly shaped. Over time, it can widen (often starting at the base of the nail first), and the nail itself may crack or break. A key warning sign is the Hutchinson sign, where the dark pigment extends beyond the nail onto the surrounding skin at the cuticle. This type is the most common form of melanoma in people with darker skin tones.
Melanoma on Sun-Damaged Skin
Lentigo maligna melanoma tends to develop on the face, ears, or neck of older adults who’ve had years of sun exposure. It creates a blotchy, irregularly colored patch that blends into the surrounding sun-damaged skin, making borders difficult to see clearly. Because it often looks like an age spot or sun spot at first, it’s easy to dismiss. It grows slowly, but left alone it can eventually become invasive.
When Melanoma Doesn’t Look Dark
Amelanotic melanoma is a rare subtype that breaks the rules. It produces little to no pigment, so instead of appearing brown or black, it’s usually pink, reddish, or close to your natural skin tone. It still looks distinct from the skin around it, but because people associate melanoma with dark moles, this type often gets overlooked or mistaken for a scar, pimple, or irritated patch of skin. If you have a pink or flesh-colored bump that persists, grows, or doesn’t heal, it’s worth having examined.
How Melanoma Looks on Darker Skin
Melanoma can develop on any skin tone, but it tends to show up in different locations depending on complexion. In people with darker skin, melanoma most commonly appears on the palms, soles, fingers, toes, and nail beds rather than on sun-exposed areas like the back or legs. It may look like a dark or black bump that appears waxy or shiny, or a dark band under a nail. Because melanoma on darker skin is often diagnosed at a later stage, checking these less obvious areas regularly is important.
What Normal Moles Look Like by Comparison
A typical benign mole is small (usually under 6 millimeters), round or oval, evenly colored in one shade of brown, and has smooth, well-defined edges. Most importantly, it stays the same over time. You might have dozens of moles that all look roughly similar to each other. The concern starts when a mole breaks this pattern: it’s larger, has multiple colors, has jagged borders, or has changed noticeably. A new mole appearing after age 40 is also less common and worth monitoring, since most people develop their moles in childhood and early adulthood.