Can a melanoma look like a bruise?

Yes: Of course the duration of a bruise is short while a melanoma persists. Unusual color with an irregular border and possibly raised discoloration are typical of melanoma. A bruise has less well defined edges and goes through a transition fairly quickly.

Yes: Melanoma can have a variety of appearances. A bruise that appears with no trauma and doe not get better over a 3/4 week period should be evaluated by a dermatologist or your internist.

Maybe?: Melanoma is the tumor that gives cancer a bad name. Melanomas can present in many ways. Melanomas of the skin usually present as irregularly shaped brown areas the vary from blue to red tinged. Often the color is not uniform, and the edges can be blurry. A small percentage have no pigment at all, making diagnosis difficult. A new lesion, a growing area, esp. If itchy or bleeding, should be checked.

Possibly: Remember your abcd's when thinking of melanoma. Look for moles with asymmetry boarders that are irregular color differences within the same mole diameter greater than 6mm also any new mole or old that starts to itch, bleed or ulcerate should be of concern. Another rule is the ugly duckling rule. Which refers to a mole that looks distantly different from the others on your body.