BLACK HEELS (Tennis Heel, Basketball Heel, Talon Noir)

Tennis heel, although harmless and unnecessary to treat, is mentioned because its characteristic brown-to-black discoloration has been mistaken for a malignant mole. This "disease" is caused by shear forces which produce tiny hemorrhages into the skin, and is normally found at the edge of the heel. The hemorrhages account for the distinct dots or irregular patch that is seen, but the condition resolves by itself and is painless.