Feeling a bit anxious about something

[PinkRoxy]

I need someone to put my mind at ease.

On Friday I went to the beach with some friends and spent the whole day there, I had sunblock on but forgot to put some on my legs so I have a big patch of sunburn on my knee.

I have noticed that there is a small dark mole that was on the red patch of sunburn. This greaked me out and it sent me into anxiety thinking Im going to get melanoma.

I told my friend and she told me to get it checked by my doctor asap this made me cry.

My mum and another friend said that its nothing to worry about as sunburn doesnt cause melanoma. i keep thinking about it and knowing I need to get it checked out regularly.

Do I have to see a doctor asap? Is it alright for me to wait till the new year?
Do any of you think its an urgent thing to get checked right away?

[Annie0904]

You are obviously very anxious about it so I would have it checked anyway just to reassure you. x

[kivyt73]

I would say it is not urgent, skin cancer takes a long time to develop and you won't likely get it from one sun burn. I recently went for my first skin check at the dermatologist and she told me to look for very, very dark brown moles those are the ones that they are concerned with, I mean so dark brown they are almost black. If yours is just a normal brown mole you are fine.

[PinkRoxy]

Well Im gonna get it checked out in a months time and Im gonna get the doctor to examine it regularly. I think it is alright as there is nothing unusual about it well hopefully anyway I went to chemists and asked and rang healthline and they told me it doesnt seem urgent unless it changes.

[lo89]

Yeah I agree - you are probably only just becoming aware of this mole because you are examining the sunburn! One sunburn will not give you melanoma, just the same as one cigarette will not give you lung cancer. It takes these things years to develop.
Melanomas are really ugly things. They are not little brown specks, they are generaly large, irregular, very dark, itchy/scaly, sometimes they weep, and develop over time.
I am also worried about melanoma - however this is the rarest form of skin cancer, and if caught early it has up to 100% survival rates, even without extensive surgery. Try to relax - get a dermatologist to look at it and take a photo of it so you can monitor changes for yourself.