Nodular Melanoma

[jgaer]

I had a small red bump come up about 4 weeks ago.  It was hard but not painful and was about 3.5mm in diameter.  After a few weeks it began to shrink to about 2mm in diameter and that's when I picked off the top of the bump.  Underneath the skin was an indented area that was red and had a hole in the center of it that I thought migh be a hair follicle. Other than being an open sore it looks like normal tissue that appears to be starting to heal.  I have been keeping it bandaged and cleaning it daily with peroxide.  I'm still regreting picking it off in the event this was melanoma how would I ever know it was growing or not now that the bump has been removed.  Can you pick melanoma off?  What should I do?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

As little as possible.  Bumps that appear that fast are almost never a problem, especially when they get smaller as you say yours did.  Picking won't change anything one way or another, so you don't need to feel bad about that.

My advice is to just leave the area alone--it's probably a blocked follicle.  If it's still there in 2 weeks, show it to a doctor.  But melanoma is not the least bit likely.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff