The key difference between blood blister and melanoma is that a blood blister is a blister that fills with blood, while melanoma is a form of skin cancer that starts from melanocytes of the skin.
Skin diseases are conditions that affect the skin. Blood blister and melanoma are two skin conditions. Blood blister and melanoma can resemble each other in appearance. However, a blood blister is a small, raised blister of blood under the skin, whereas melanoma is a serious type of skin cancer that begins from melanocytes. Blood blisters generally heal on their own, but melanoma will not go away without treatment.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Blood Blister
3. What is Melanoma
4. Similarities – Blood Blister and Melanoma
5. Blood Blister vs. Melanoma in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Blood Blister vs. Melanoma
What is Blood Blister?
A blood blister is a blister that fills with blood rather than clear fluid. Most commonly, it occurs on hands, fingers, feet, and toes. People may get them near joints and on bony areas such as heels and feet. The signs and symptoms of a blood blister may include a blister that looks red or black and is filled with blood, pain, and discomfort in the affected area, itchiness, hot sensation in the affected area, and green or yellow pus. Blood blisters can arise from various factors, including instances where the skin experiences a pinch without breaking, accidents like getting your hand caught in a door jamb, engaging in physical activities such as running or dancing, wearing improperly fitting shoes, experiencing sweaty feet, or using a tool like a hammer that repeatedly rubs against the skin.

Figure 01: Blood Blister
Blood blisters can be diagnosed through physical examination and skin biopsy. Furthermore, treatment options for blood blister may include taking over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, applying special ointment and gauze to promote healing, and applying a special dressing or antibiotic ointment to prevent infections.
What is Melanoma?
Melanoma is a serious type of skin cancer that develops in melanocytes, which produce melanin. The exact cause of melanoma is not yet known. However, exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight or tanning lamps increases the chances of getting a melanoma. Moreover, the signs and symptoms of melanoma may include a mole that is irregular in shape appearing on the skin, a mole that is getting bigger and not symmetrical, a mole that may develop a raised area in the skin, itching or bleeding, and dark areas under nails or on membranes lining the regions of the body such as mouth, vagina, or anus.

Figure 02: Melanoma
Melanoma can be diagnosed through physical examination, skin biopsy, and lymph node evaluation. Furthermore, treatment options for melanoma may include immunotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation therapy, surgery, and palliative care.
What are the Similarities Between Blood Blister and Melanoma?
- Both blood blister and melanoma are skin conditions that can resemble each other in appearance.
- They appear on the skin.
- Both may result in raised area on the skin and itchiness.
- They can be diagnosed through physical examination.
- They can be treated through supportive care and specific medications.
What is the Difference Between Blood Blister and Melanoma?
A blood blister is a blister that fills with blood, while melanoma is a form of skin cancer that starts from melanocytes of the skin. Thus, this is the key difference between blood blister and melanoma. Furthermore, blood blisters may appear on the hands, fingers, feet, toes, near the joints, and on bony areas such as heels and feet. On the other hand, melanoma may appear on the back, legs, arms, and face.
The infographic below presents the differences between blood blister and melanoma in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Blood Blister vs. Melanoma
Both blood blisters and melanoma appear as raised bumps or lesions on the skin that can be seen on various parts of the body. However, they are distinct conditions. A blood blister is a small, raised blister of blood under the skin. Melanoma is a serious type of skin cancer that develops in the cells called melanocytes, which produce melanin. Moreover, blood blisters may appear on the hands, fingers, feet, toes, near the joints, and on bony areas such as heels and feet, whereas melanoma may appear on the back, legs, arms, and face. So, this summarizes the difference between blood blister and melanoma.
Reference:
1. Jenny Lelwica Buttaccio, OTR/L. “What You Need to Know about Blood Blisters.” Verywell Health.
2. “Melanoma: Symptoms, Stages, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention.” Cleveland Clinic.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Melanoma in adult woman” By Simone Trovato Monastra – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Blood blister close-up” By Mike Weston (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
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