Checking Your Moles: Changes to Discuss with a GP

Knowing what is usual for your skin can help you notice a new or changing mark. It cannot tell you with certainty whether a mole is harmless. A change that concerns you deserves a conversation with a GP, even if it does not resemble an online photograph of skin cancer.

This guide explains how to describe changes and prepare for assessment. It is not a scoring system for deciding which lesions can safely be ignored. If you have already noticed a concerning change, arranging an appointment is more useful than repeatedly comparing pictures.

Key takeaways

• New, changing or symptomatic marks should be assessed rather than diagnosed at home.
• Size, symmetry and colour are useful observations, not a guarantee that a lesion is benign.
• Melanoma can be smaller than 6 mm and may look different from familiar examples.
• A photograph can help document a timeline, but should not delay an appointment.
• Ask what happens next and how to report further change while waiting.

On this page

1. Start with change, not a label
2. Use ABCDE as a reminder, not a pass-or-fail test
3. Remember areas that are easy to overlook
4. Make a useful record without creating a delay
5. What to bring to the appointment
6. Understand the next step
7. Keep prevention separate from diagnosis
8. Common questions
9. Sources and further reading

Start with change, not a label

The NHS advises seeing a GP about a mole that changes size, shape or colour, becomes painful or itchy, or is inflamed, bleeding or crusty. A new unusual mark that remains after a few weeks also deserves assessment. You do not need to identify the type of growth before seeking help.

Describe what you actually noticed: a raised edge, a different colour, bleeding without an obvious injury, or a mark that seems unlike your others. Saying when you first noticed it and what has changed gives the clinician more information than describing it as “probably nothing”.

Changes do not automatically mean cancer. Equally, a reassuring explanation from someone who has not examined the lesion should not replace assessment. Our guide to skin tags and uncertain growths explains why naming a lesion correctly matters before any removal discussion.

Use ABCDE as a reminder, not a pass-or-fail test

The American Academy of Dermatology uses ABCDE to describe warning features: asymmetry, an irregular border, different colours within a spot, diameter and evolution. Evolution means a spot changing or looking unlike the rest. These observations can help you explain a concern clearly.

The diameter reminder needs particular care. Although melanomas are often larger than 6 mm when diagnosed, they can be smaller. Do not wait for a mark to reach a particular measurement. A neat outline or a single colour also does not provide enough information to rule out a problem.

Remember areas that are easy to overlook

Checking skin is not only about the face and forearms. The AAD encourages looking over the body, including the scalp, back, palms, soles and between toes. A mirror or help from someone you trust may make difficult-to-see areas easier to observe.

NHS melanoma guidance also describes changes on palms, soles and under nails. A new dark nail area without a clear injury should be discussed with a GP. Skin cancer is not confined to one skin tone or to places that have obviously been sunburnt.

Ask your clinician what checking pattern makes sense for you, especially if you have previously had skin cancer or have been given a monitoring plan. Avoid turning checking into repeated daily inspection that leaves you more uncertain without moving towards an appointment.

Make a useful record without creating a delay

If you have a clear earlier photograph, bring it. Note approximately when the mark appeared, when it changed and whether symptoms are intermittent or persistent. An ordinary dated note can be useful even when a photograph does not show the change well.

For a new photograph, avoid filters, beauty effects and edits that alter colour or texture. Keep the original file and record the body location so that similar marks are not confused. Do not repeatedly scrape, squeeze or irritate the area to make it more visible.

A photograph is supporting information. Lighting, focus and angle affect what it shows, and it cannot replace the clinician’s assessment. Do not postpone contacting a GP to build a collection of images, wait for better daylight or see whether an app gives a different answer.

What to bring to the appointment

Write your main question before the visit: “This mark has changed; what assessment does it need?” Add relevant history, such as previous skin lesions that were investigated, medicines and any earlier advice about this particular mark. If another clinician has seen it, explain when and what was agreed.

It can help to list all concerning locations so that one is not forgotten. Ask at the start whether the appointment will address one lesion or several. If you need an interpreter, support person or help examining a difficult area, mention that when arranging the visit.

Our guide to private dermatology appointments explains the scope of private consultations. Paying privately is not a prerequisite for raising a suspicious change with your GP, and shopping around should not delay necessary care.

Understand the next step

A GP may refer you for specialist assessment if the lesion is suspicious. Being referred does not establish a cancer diagnosis; it means further examination is needed. Ask how the referral will be communicated, who to contact if you hear nothing and what changes to report while waiting.

At a specialist appointment, examination may include a dermatoscope, a device that helps the clinician look more closely at the skin. If a biopsy is recommended, ask why, how results will be communicated and what follow-up is planned. A photograph alone does not provide the laboratory information obtained from tissue.

If a clinician recommends observation, make sure you understand the planned review and reasons to return sooner. A previous reassuring examination applies to what was assessed at that time; it does not mean that future changes should be dismissed.

Keep prevention separate from diagnosis

Protecting skin from ultraviolet exposure remains useful, but starting sunscreen does not explain or treat a changing lesion. Our sunscreen-label guide covers protection choices. Continue with assessment even if you have improved your sun-protection routine.

Common questions

Does a changing mole always mean cancer?

No. Different conditions can cause changes, but an examination is needed to understand the cause rather than guessing from a photograph.

Can a small mole need assessment?

Yes. Do not use a size threshold to dismiss a new, changing or symptomatic lesion.

Should I wait for all the ABCDE features?

No. They are reminders of possible warning features, not a checklist that must be completed before seeking help.

Can I send a photograph instead?

Follow the service’s instructions if it requests one. Ask whether further examination is needed; an image does not automatically settle the diagnosis.

What if the mark is under a nail?

Tell the GP its location and whether there was an injury. Do not assume that only ordinary-looking moles need attention.

Should I remove a concerning mark cosmetically?

Assessment should come first. Explain the concern before discussing removal, and avoid home methods that damage the lesion.

What if I have already been reassured?

Report a subsequent change and explain the previous assessment. Ask whether the new finding changes the follow-up plan.

Can sunscreen make a changing mole safe?

No. Sun protection and evaluation of an existing lesion answer different questions. Do not substitute a product change for assessment.

Sources and further reading

Sources checked 22 October 2026. This guide supports recognising and describing concerns; it does not diagnose lesions. Clinical review is not claimed.

• NHS: moles
• NHS: melanoma symptoms
• American Academy of Dermatology: ABCDE reminders
• NHS: melanoma tests and next steps