Skin Cancer Symptoms & Photos: How to Tell If You Have Basal Cell Cancer, Squamous Cell Carcinoma & Melanoma [Pictures]

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There are three types of skin cancer and this article will help you how to identify them.

Basal Cell Cancer (BCC - seen above): According to Daily Mail, about 75 percent of skin cancers are identified as BCC. This type of skin cancer grows slowly and "almost never" spreads to other parts of the body. If treated immediately, BCC can be completely cured. 

Daily Mail states that BCC affects the bottom of the epidermis, which is the outermost layers of the cells in the skin. Symptoms of BCC include a growth that may have the following description: smooth and pearly; waxy; firm, red lump; bleeds; crust or scab; begins to heal but not completely; itchy; flat, red spot this is scaly and crusty; and lastly, it develops into a painless ulcer. 

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (seen above): Mayo Clinic reports that this type of skin cancer occurs in sun-exposed areas of the body like the face, ears, and hands. For people with darker skin, however, it may occur in areas of the body that are not exposed to the sun often. 

According to Daily Mail, growths on the skin due to squamous cell carcinoma may have the following description: scaly; have a hard, crusty cap; make the skin raised in area of cancer; feel tender to touch; and bleed sometimes.  

Melanoma Skin Cancer (seen above): Melanoma is not quite common, but it will often spread to other organs of the body if infected with it, reports Daily Mail. As a result, Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer among the three.  

Mayo Clinic reports that in both men and women, the skin that has not been exposed to the sun can still get melanoma. Overall, melanoma growths can appear anywhere in the body and even on an existing mole, making it difficult to identify. 

It is quite common for men to develop melanoma growths on face or the trunk of the body, while it usually appears in the lower legs for women. For people who have darker skin, growths usually appear on the palms, soles, or underneath nails. 

According to Mayo Clinic, symptoms of melanoma include growths that have the following description: large brownish spot with darker speckles; a mole that change in color, size, and feel; anda mole that bleeds. Small lesions could also appear with irregular borders and portions of red, white, blue or blue-black in it. Meanwhile, dark lesions on the palms, soles, fingertips or toes, on the mucous membranes lining of the mouth; nose; vagina; and anus are symptoms of melanoma as well.