Family History of Melanoma

I'm female (58) who was raised at a high altitude and has a fair complexion. I have sunburned many times. My family has a history of melanoma. The skin on my face has darkened in blotches and I'm worried.

Although it does not sound like you have an immediate concern, anyone with a strong family history of melanoma should be checked by a dermatologist for a full-body skin examination at least yearly. It is important to determine what the brown spots on your face might be.

The most important risk factor for melanoma is a previous history of having one, with the second most important risk factor is having a family history of melanoma. Due to the significant risk of some melanomas to spread into other body areas and cause death, the main way to reduce your risk is to have a melanoma diagnosed in its earliest stages of growth and then to have it surgically removed.

Facial brown spots are more commonly not melanoma and may be a sign of years of past sun damage, called lentigoes. The brown spot may also be an inherited benign growth called seborrheic keratoses, or due to the hormone and sun condition called melasma. However, you should leave it to skin care experts to make this type of determination with your strong family history of melanoma.