I am a 23 year old male in good health. The other day I was cutting my hair and noticed a small red area on the back of my head. It feels exactly like a mole but it is more clear or skin colored than anything while all my other moles are brown. I have been looking at pictures of melanoma on the internet and it really does not look like anything I have found. I do not ever remember seeing this lump before. I have always kept my hair really short so I highly doubt I could have ever missed this spot. I work outside in the sun all summer long which is making me even more paranoid that it could be cancer. I was hoping that I could post a photo on here but it doesn't appear that I can. I do however have a few other posts on this site that allowed me to post a photo of the lump. I haven't really received much input though which is why I am trying the paid forum now. If you could give me any advise to ease my mind at all it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you
2014-12-10 05:08:00
Hi! I can appreciate your worries about skin cancer as you work outdoors in sun. A solitary discolored patch on the scalp with a reddish hue compared to rest of scalp (I have looked at the picture you posted elsewhere) can be due to a mild infection of the hair follicle (root). Sometimes there is just reddish discoloration which is mildly painful on pressing. The infection is usually self limiting and subsides on its own. It is also triggered by sweat and dust—likely culprits if you have been working in the sun. At times it may flare up and need antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications. The other possibility is seborrheic dermatitis caused by a fungus residing in the skin called Malassezia furfur. This can start with a small patch and spread to rest of scalp. You may have dandruff and this may be another cause. It can also be a bruise caused by a nick from the scissor or from combing your hair. Often this is missed and one may notice it at a much later date. If the area is itchy then it may be start of a condition called lichen planus. This is a benign skin condition which spreads and causes red itchy lesion. Psoriasis and lupus also cause similar lesions but a solitary lesion on scalp is unlikely to be due to these conditions. Yes skin cancer and melanoma are the other possibilities but in your case the lesion does not look cancerous or malignant. Also possibility of skin cancer and melanoma is high in individuals with a strong familial and ethnic predisposition to it. So if this is not the case with you chances of cancer is less. However nothing can be said for sure until a doctor (preferably a skin specialist) takes a closer look of the lesion. Also you may need a skin biopsy if the clinical examination is not sufficient to diagnose it. Please show this to a doctor. Hope you can get a confirmed diagnosis soon as this is not possible on net (we can just give a likely diagnosis possibilities and comment on the likelihood of a lesion being cancerous or not). Good Luck and take care!
2014-12-10 05:11:00
