Melanoma skin cancer does not just form where you get the most sun. Many people think that they only need to check the areas of their skin that are regularly exposed to the sun.

While this is good practice, don't ignore the rest of your body. My brother found his melanoma growth on his upper thigh, and he has never worn shorts in his life. He always kept check on his arms, legs, face etc, but when a cut that wouldn't heal showed up on his inner thigh, he didn't think it could possibly be melanoma skin cancer, because he had never got any sun there.

So, when you are giving your body the "once over" check... don't ignore the skin that is always covered, and check places like your underarms, thighs, etc, and get someone to check the backs of your legs and your back and neck, and scalp.

We all have moles, or birth marks, or scars, that make us unique, it doesn't mean it is cancer, what you are looking for is changes. Most moles stay the same shape, but if they start getting larger, form weird edges, or bleed, itch or scab up, then it doesn't hurt to get it checked out. This goes for any cut that does not heal, or forms a scab that keeps falling off, which is what my brother had. He did not have one mole on his body.

Melanoma skin cancer, has a very high rate of cure if caught early. You need to get familiar with your body, so that you can let your doctor know. It is up to you to find these changes, so don't forget to look past your arms and back and face..