Moles

1. What do moles look like?
Moles can appear anywhere on the skin, alone or in groups. They are usually brown in color and can be various sizes and shapes.

2. When do moles first appear?
Moles probably are determined before a person is born. Most appear during the first 20 years of a person's life, although some may not appear until later in life.

Each mole has its own growth pattern. At first, moles are flat and brown or black in color, like a freckle. Over time, they usually enlarge, and some may develop hairs. As the years pass, moles usually change slowly, becoming raised and lighter in color. Most moles will slowly disappear, seeming to fade away.

Moles may darken, which can happen after exposure to the sun. During the teen years and pregnancy, moles tend to become darker and larger and new ones may appear.

3. Can moles become cancerous?
Yes. Moles that appear at birth occur in about 1 in 100 people. They are called congenital nevi. These moles may be more likely to develop into melanoma than moles which appear after birth.

Moles known as dysplastic nevi or atypical moles are larger than average and irregular in shape. They tend to have uneven color with dark brown centers and lighter, uneven edges. These moles tend to be hereditary. Persons with dysplastic nevi may have a greater-than-average chance of developing malignant melanoma.

4. How do I recognize abnormalities in a mole?
Recognizing the early warning signs of malignant melanoma is important. Remember the ABCD's of melanoma when examining your moles.

A: stands for ASYMMETRY, when one half of the mole doesn't match the other half.
B: stands for BORDER, when the border or edges of the mole are ragged, blurred or irregular.
C: stands for COLOR, when the color of the mole is not the same throughout or if it has shades of tan, brown, black, red, white or blue.
D: stands for DIAMETER, if the diameter of a mole is larger than the eraser of a pencil.

If a mole displays any of these signs, it should be checked immediately by a dermatologist.

The majority of moles and other blemishes are benign (non-cancerous). They will never be a threat to the health of the person who has them. The only spots or blemishes that warrant medical concern are those that do something out of the ordinary – those that act differently from other existing moles. This includes any spot that suddenly changes in size, shape or color or one that bleeds, itches, becomes painful, or first appears when a person is past his/her twenties.

5. How are abnormal looking moles treated?
The dermatologist will remove the mole, or part of it, so that thin sections from the tissue can be examined under a microscope. This is a simple and harmless procedure. Even if the lesion in question is cancer, cutting through it will not cause the cancer to spread. If the growth was only partially removed and it is found to be cancerous, the entire lesion and a margin of safety will need to be removed.

Content courtesy of the American Academy of Dermatology