Hopefully it's not goat cancer

Alright folks, I’ve got a question for anyone here who actually knows their way around medical stuff. My mom has been riding my back since April telling me to strip down and get some sun, but I’ve been stubbornly refusing her. Then, about a month ago, I finally hit the coast. Spent maybe an hour in the water, went to take a nap, then popped back in for another hour. I ended up turning bright red—basically looking like a total amateur. A week later, I headed out to Topeka and spent maybe two hours tops under the sun, and even though I was slathering on sunscreen, I still came home with this minor burn on my left shoulder. Fast forward a month, and now the skin in that spot looks all blotchy and white. I’m kind of freaking out. I asked my cousin about it—he’s a doctor—but he just waved me off like, "Eh, don't sweat it, just use some lotion." Is it possible to develop skin cancer from stuff like this? God forbid, but should I be looking for a real medical opinion instead of just taking his word for it?

Look, your brother is the doctor here, not me, but I find myself in complete agreement with his assessment.
The statistical probability of you developing melanoma from just two bouts of sun exposure is incredibly slim; had you told me that a mole had been scorched only to subsequently change color five times and triple in size, I would have been telling you to get to a clinic immediately.
However, if this burn truly continues to spread months down the line, or if it undergoes any significant discoloration, then by all means, go see someone.
But in any case—your brother is the medical professional! You should probably listen to him. 😁

stormymaker24 said:Look, your brother is a doctor. I'm not. But I’m on his side here.
The odds of you catching melanoma from just two trips out in the sun are basically zero. If you told me you burned off a mole and then that thing started changing colors five times or tripled in size, then yeah, I'd be telling you to get to a clinic immediately.
If that burn actually keeps spreading months later, or if it starts shifting color or doing anything weird, go see someone.
But hey, whatever—your brother is the MD! Listen to the expert. 😁

Nah, the burn is gone, it's totally fine now. Just some pale, patchy skin left over.😕

Matthew Miller38 said:There’s no more evidence left to find—it’s all gone. All that remains is a little white goat, looking a bit scruffy.😕

It’s pretty simple: she's younger, so her skin hasn't been battered by the sun like everyone else's around her. Her pigmentation is just naturally lighter than the people nearby who have already started darkening.
Skin cancer isn't some sudden, overnight surprise; it’s more like a debt you didn't realize you were accruing. It shows up as the fallout from damage you sustained a decade ago. Think about it: those people who were reckless with their skin and spent their summers blistering under the sun ten years back? They aren't just paying for yesterday—they’re finally facing the consequences today.

Don't worry about it, really, because I went through something similar a few years back when I suffered some burns, and all that's left is this faint white scar near my eye that just sort of drifts in and out of sight whenever it feels like it.