While skin cancer has become widely known and understood with the increasing media and medical news coverage, there are still many things that the general public doesn't understand about it. Unfortunately, some of those things can put you at risk of having skin cancer and not even know about it. In fact, there are areas where melanoma can hide that many people don't ever think to check. While you're watching your moles and other spots for signs, here are a few other places to keep an eye on.

Between Your Toes

You may not think much of checking your feet for signs of skin cancer, but the fact is that feet and toes can be particularly vulnerable. This is especially true if you spend a lot of time barefoot or wearing sandals. Be vigilant about the skin between your toes and on the bottoms of your feet.

On Your Eyelids

Your eyelid tissue is especially sensitive, partially because of how thin it is. That makes it vulnerable to sun damage and melanoma. When you go to your doctor for a skin cancer evaluation, make sure you are not wearing any makeup, because eyeshadow can cover up problem areas that need to be treated.

Under Your Nails

Since the sun's rays can penetrate your nails and reach the tissue beneath, both your fingernails and your toenails can be areas that harbor melanoma. This is especially true for those who get manicures and pedicures that are dried using UV lamps in the salon because those lamps intensify the UV rays directed at your nails. Don't wear any kind of polish on your nails when you're going in for a skin cancer evaluation, because the colored polish can cover worrisome spots.

Under Tattoo Ink

Partially common because people seek out tattoos to hide moles, their use as a cover-up actually makes tattoos a prime spot for hiding melanoma. While the ink doesn't make you more vulnerable to melanoma, it can make it harder to detect because it alters the appearance of the skin. What's more, the lasers used to remove tattoos can actually cause skin cancer cells to strengthen and multiply, which makes it particularly problematic if a tattoo needs to be removed for skin cancer testing.

These are just a few of the areas that can be problematic for hiding skin cancer growth. It's important that you talk with your doctor in depth about your concerns and seek skin cancer surgery if you're deemed to have melanoma growth. To learn more, contact a dermatology clinic like Strnot Dermatology.