Skin cancer is often caused by sun exposure and sunburn. In fact, the damaging effects of the sun build up over time. The more you are exposed to the sun (or to tanning beds) in your life, the higher your risk of skin cancer.
Skin cancer looks like an abnormal area of skin and can be:
Pink
Red and swollen
Peeling
Bleeding or look like an open sore
Thick or crusty
Melanoma often looks like a brown or black mole or birthmark. But melanoma has features that make it different from normal moles and birthmarks. People can remember the abnormal features of melanoma by thinking of the letters A, B, C, D, and E
Asymmetry – One half can look different than the other half.
Border – It can have a jagged or uneven edge.
Color – It can have different colors.
Diameter – It is larger than the eraser on the end of a pencil.
Evolution – Its color or shape can change over time.
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