Skip the main content if you do not want to read it as the next
section. There are hundreds of different skin conditions that
are not cancerous, and will never turn cancerous. These are
called non-cancerous. Some of them may look very similar to
cancerous or pre-cancerous conditions (conditions that could
turn into cancer). These are the most common conditions that may
cause concern, but are nothing to do with cancer: Freckles are
small, light brown spots that usually appear in clusters on skin
that has been exposed to sun. They are very common in fair-
skinned people. They are caused by an increase in the skin
pigment called melanin. Freckles are not caused by an increase
in the cells that make the pigment. This means that there is no
risk that a freckle will turn into melanoma. However, people
with a tendency to freckle do have a slightly higher risk of
developing melanoma. Haemangiomas are formed by the harmless
growth of blood vessels. They are sometimes called strawberry
spots or port wine stains. Moles a