Kinda hard to see it growing on your back. (As a kid I got sunburned--mostly on my back--several times, and am therefore at risk.)
Also, as one (or at least I) gets older, you get a lot of other skin "things": "age" spots, basal and squamous cell carcinomas (kinds of skin cancer, but not as concerning as melanoma), actinic keratosis (non-cancerous), keloids, freckles, and on and on. There are lots of guides on-line to distinguishing among them, but I've seen spots on myself that looked concerning, only to have my dermatologist (old and very experienced) tell me they're nothing to worry about--and sure enough, ten years later nothing has happened.
And on the other hand he found and removed a squamous cell carcinoma that I couldn't even see (yes, even with my glasses on!), confirmed by biopsy.
So I would never trust myself to detect a melanoma, or even a basal or squamous cell carcinoma. I visit the dermatologist once or twice a year, and he always reminds me to stay out of the sun (because cancer) and out of the full moon (because werewolf).
Also, as one (or at least I) gets older, you get a lot of other skin "things": "age" spots, basal and squamous cell carcinomas (kinds of skin cancer, but not as concerning as melanoma), actinic keratosis (non-cancerous), keloids, freckles, and on and on. There are lots of guides on-line to distinguishing among them, but I've seen spots on myself that looked concerning, only to have my dermatologist (old and very experienced) tell me they're nothing to worry about--and sure enough, ten years later nothing has happened.
And on the other hand he found and removed a squamous cell carcinoma that I couldn't even see (yes, even with my glasses on!), confirmed by biopsy.
So I would never trust myself to detect a melanoma, or even a basal or squamous cell carcinoma. I visit the dermatologist once or twice a year, and he always reminds me to stay out of the sun (because cancer) and out of the full moon (because werewolf).