It was small.
Round.
Brownish.
And harmless.
Or so Tom thought.
At 62 years old, he had his fair share of “age spots” and freckles — especially from growing up under the Texas sun, mowing lawns shirtless and fishing for hours without sunscreen.
So when a new little speck appeared on the back of his left shoulder, he barely noticed it.
It wasn’t raised.
It didn’t itch.
It didn’t hurt.
But what happened over the next few months would send him into a dermatologist’s office…
And possibly save his life.
“I Thought I Was Imagining Things.”
Tom first noticed it in a bathroom mirror at his gym.
He was drying off after a shower, glanced over his shoulder, and thought:
“Huh. Was that always there?”
It looked like a freckle — nothing more. But something about the shape caught his eye. It wasn’t perfectly round. And it wasn’t the same color throughout.
Still, he brushed it off.
“I’ve had worse sunburns than this little dot,” he told himself.
But a few weeks later… he noticed something strange.
It had moved.
Not across his body, of course — it was still on his shoulder.
But it was slightly lower. And the edges looked fuzzier.
That’s when the alarm bells rang.
The “Ugly Duckling” Rule
Tom’s daughter, Emily, is a nurse.
When he mentioned the spot during a phone call, she didn’t panic — but she was firm.
“Dad, listen. Dermatologists have this thing called the ‘ugly duckling’ rule,” she said.
“It means you don’t look at all your moles. You look for the one that doesn’t fit in.”
Tom didn’t have many moles to begin with.
And this one? It didn’t belong.
So, a week later, Tom booked an appointment with a local dermatologist.
And what he learned next made him thankful he didn’t wait any longer.
“It Wasn’t a Freckle. It Was a Warning.”
Dr. Nguyen, the dermatologist, took one look and ordered a biopsy.
“It’s probably nothing,” she said calmly. “But the border’s irregular, and the color isn’t consistent. That’s usually enough for us to check it.”
Five days later, the call came in.
Early-stage melanoma.
Tom sat in silence for a moment.
“Skin cancer? From that little thing?”
Dr. Nguyen explained:
Melanoma is sneaky.
It often starts as something that looks like a freckle, a flat mole, or a tiny spot.
By the time it itches, bleeds, or becomes painful — it may already be dangerous.
But Tom had caught it early.
Because he listened to his gut.
Because he noticed that something had moved.
A Tiny Surgery — A Major Wake-Up Call
The removal was simple.
A 30-minute outpatient procedure, a small scar, and a follow-up every 6 months.
But emotionally?
It shook him.
“I spent most of my life in the sun,” he said.
“No sunscreen until I hit 40. I thought skin cancer happened to people who tanned on beaches — not guys like me who just worked outdoors.”
Now, Tom carries sunscreen in his car.
He wears a wide-brimmed hat while gardening.
And once a year — no matter what — he gets his skin checked.
How to Know if Your “Freckle” Might Be More
Dermatologists use the ABCDE rule to spot potentially dangerous moles or freckles:
- A – Asymmetry: One half doesn’t match the other
- B – Border: Irregular, jagged, or blurry edges
- C – Color: Uneven tones, multiple colors in one spot
- D – Diameter: Larger than a pencil eraser (¼ inch)
- E – Evolving: Changing in size, shape, or color over time
But here’s the most important part:
If it feels off, even if it looks small or harmless — get it checked.
You’re not being paranoid.
You’re being smart.
Why It Matters Even More After 50
As we age, our skin becomes more vulnerable.
Years of sun exposure add up.
The skin’s ability to repair itself slows down.
And many people over 50 make the same mistake Tom almost did:
They ignore the little things.
That spot that “was always there”?
Maybe it wasn’t.
Or maybe it changed — but so slowly you didn’t notice.
That’s why regular skin checks — at home and with a professional — are critical after age 50.
“I Tell Every Friend Over Coffee Now.”
Tom isn’t shy about sharing his story.
He shows off his scar like a badge of honor.
Not for sympathy — but as a warning.
“I’d rather tell you about my doctor visit than read about yours in the paper,” he jokes.
And he’s serious.
Since his diagnosis, two of his friends have gone in for their own checks.
One of them found a precancerous lesion — and had it removed in time.
Don’t Be Afraid to Look Closer
Sometimes we avoid checking our skin because we’re afraid of what we’ll find.
But here’s the truth:
- Finding something early doesn’t make it worse.
- It makes it treatable.
- It makes it beatable.
And it might just save your life.
Final Thoughts from Tom
“If I could go back, I’d take better care of my skin.
But since I can’t, I’m doing the next best thing — telling everyone else not to wait.”
So, if there’s a spot on your arm, your back, your neck…
Something you’ve brushed off as “just a freckle”…
Take another look.
And if anything feels different — call your doctor.
It’s not just about skin.
It’s about peace of mind.