How noticeable is melanoma?

[Toaster]

I still fear Melanoma. I am low risk with brown hair, brown eyes, easily tanning skin. I'm not afraid of my moles, because they've all been looked at. I'm afraid of even more benign looking things. I'm afraid of a bruise. I'm afraid of a scar I've had on my ankle. I'm afraid of pores on my legs that are red/purple. I think that these could be Melanoma under the skin.

Is this rational? My girlfriend says no. Pictures on the internet are very distinct. Its quite easy to tell when something is malignant or not. The things I'm worrying about look nothing like melanoma. Don't even look like moles. Its pretty tough to mistake a purple or yellow bruise for a mole. Is thinking its melanoma even more of a stretch?

[Thelegend27]

Man i have big pores on my hands and thighs big pores doesn't signal cancer. And skin cancer is very noticeable because it's usually on the surface of the skin. Don't Google any of the symptoms because you will enter a world of fear.

[Toaster]

Been in a world of fear. Already visited my doctor 4 months ago about this very fear.

Some of my pores are reddish. Girlfriends are the same after she shaved. They are noticeable I suppose under normal circumstances.

I see the pictures on the internet and think, "How could people NOT be worried about that" because it looks so distinct. But when I'm worrying I think anything could be skin cancer.

[Fishmanpa]

I see the pictures on the internet and think.....

That's the problem :doh:

If the doctor thought it was questionable, you would have been referred. Chase the wind if you like, you'll never catch it ;)

Positive thoughts

[Toaster]

But in this case the internet helps. If melanoma is as terrifying as it is in the pictures I've seen, I have nothing to worry about.

[PASchoolSyndrome]

I would have to agree with your above post! Don't worry about it.

[Toaster]

I get scared cause he saw it a while ago. To someone with anxiety the pore looks different. It's pink with two hairs. But I always think it's too dark. It's definitely not a mole. But could melanoma hide under the skin?

Girlfriend says it looks like nothing. A little bruised from me poking it.

[Fishmanpa]

Anxiety skewed perception vs. reality. Two totally different things. If Googling pics was reassuring, this post wouldn't be here ;)

Positive thoughts

[Toaster]

Its pretty annoying. Just had the girlfriend inspect the pore. She said its pink and similar to every other pore around, except it surrounded by my self inflicted bruising. And it has two black hairs. Supposedly it looks just like every pore I have though, so its probably not worth worrying about.

I know I screwed with the area a whole lot and that's why its bruised, but I sometimes fear that maybe the bruise is melanoma. But it turned yellow like a bruise so that's probaby dumb too.

[Fishmanpa]

Its pretty annoying. Just had the girlfriend inspect the pore. She said its pink and similar to every other pore around, except it surrounded by my self inflicted bruising. And it has two black hairs. Supposedly it looks just like every pore I have though, so its probably not worth worrying about.

I know I screwed with the area a whole lot and that's why its bruised, but I sometimes fear that maybe the bruise is melanoma. But it turned yellow like a bruise so that's probaby dumb too.

Yep ;) Now... believe the logical aspect of your thoughts and you're taking a step forward.

Positive thoughts

[Toaster]

It just looks different when I show her in comparison to when I'm just looking at it. The anxious mind makes it look entirely different. Like when I'm alone it looks like a big black mark on my leg. When she looks at it, it just looks like a little pore growing two dark black hairs.

[linniek808]

I'm going through similar HA right now over skin stuff. I had a biopsy of a tiny dark brown mole he took off my skin on Thursday and I have been in a panic since then. As to your question, if you saw a doctor at all and they looked at your skin I would not at all be worried. In my logical mind I know that doctors biopsy stuff all the time and most of the time its probably negative however, I have all but convinced myself that this tiny 1mm mole which to my eye didn't really look bad is going to ruin my life. Yes there is a possibility that its bad, and if so it will be treated. If its nothing , and that's a good possibility too, than Health Anxiety has gotten me again. I will post an update in a few days.

[Toaster]

Yea my doctor didn't even suspect cancer. He was genuinely surprised I brought it up. No dermatologist referral cause I didn't even technically have a mole or anything.

[beatroon]

This is great news: your doctor isn't worried, so you don't need to be!

It might be worth looking around and seeing what else is going on in your life that might be kicking off your anxiety? And getting onto some anxiety management strategies? It seems very clear to me that this is an anxiety problem rather than a skin problem! I notice a bit of a reassurance-seeking cycle developing here, which will consume you if you let it. What are you doing to manage your anxiety?

[Toaster]

I see a therapist biweekly. A psych bimonthly. I have Remeron. Vistaril. Propranolol. Trust me... I know I have anxiety.

[linniek808]

Update on my mole biopsy. Came back mildly atypical , no further treatment needed.
My HA lied to me again. Just another example of how anxiety lies to us.