What That Mole Might Be Telling You
Moles are growths on the skin that are usually brown or black. They can appear just about anywhere on the skin and can be either alone or in groups.
Most moles appear in early childhood and during the first twenty five years of a person's life, making it normal to have between ten and forty moles by adulthood.
Moles will not necessarily stay the same. As time passes, some moles will change slowly becoming raised and/or changing color. Sometimes, hairs will even develop in the mole. Other moles may even disappear over time.
The good news is that it is rare for a mole to be suspicious or dangerous. The exception being those that look different than other existing moles or those that first appear after age of twenty five.
It is important to have a mole checked by a dermatologist if you notice changes in a mole's color, height, size or shape or if they they bleed, ooze, itch or become tender or painful.
What are the different types of moles?
- Congenital nevi are moles that are present at birth. They can be large or small.
- Dysplastic nevi are moles that are generally larger than average (larger than a pencil eraser) and irregular in shape. They tend to have uneven color with dark brown centers and lighter, uneven edges. They can be slightly more likely to become suspicious so should be watched for any changes. A mole is considered abnormal when it is larger in size, has uneven edges, or has an uneven surface. These moles can also be discolored or grow in size over time.
- Acquired nevi are moles that appear after you were born. This is not unusual and does not mean that this mole should cause concern. You just need to be more aware if you have fifty or more of this type of mole.
- Spitz nevi are often raised, pink, and dome shaped. You may notice different colors within the mole, such as red, black, and brown. It’s important to know that this type of mole may bleed or leak pus. You should speak to your dermatologist or health care professional if you notice this happening.
Then there are common moles...
These are the type of moles that can appear anywhere on your skin after your are born. If you have fair skin, you are likely to have at least ten to forty common moles. They can be:
- Round or oval
- Flat or slightly raised or sometimes dome-shaped
- Smooth or rough
- A single color (tan, brown, black, red, pink, blue, or skin-colored)
- Stay the same
- A quarter of an inch or less in diameter (namely, the size of a pencil eraser)
- They may sometimes have hairs.
These common moles may be darker if you have a darker skin or brunette hair. It is rare for a common mole to be suspect.
Why do we get moles?
Moles occur when cells in the skin grow in a cluster instead of being spread throughout the skin. These cells are called melanocytes, and they make the pigment that gives skin its natural color.
Moles may darken for these reasons:
- After exposure to the sun
- During the teen years,
- During pregnancy.
- They are seen more often as people get older.
The number of people asking to have moles removed is growing with many feeling self-conscious about their moles - particularly when they are in a prominent position.
There can sometimes be a problem with scarring if a mole is removed surgically. Scarring is unpredictable and could even mean the scar can look worse than the original mole.
What can we do about the appearance of moles?
H-Moles Formula is the natural solution for benign moles. After your moles have been checked by your doctor, the Formula can be used at home on your benign moles.
The process simply requires just a small amount of patience and daily applications.
H-Moles Formula works without any pain or scarring and takes care of benign skin moles in the comfort of your home.
The Formula is Ideal to use:
- Under the arms and in the arm pits
- For facial moles and those on the neck
- For moles in sensitive areas
- On the stomach, torso, legs and feet
Several other skin conditions may resemble moles
- Freckles are the most common skin discoloration aside from moles. They rarely grow larger than the size of a pea and are never raised.
- In middle age, brown growths that are similar to warts but known as seborrheic keratoses can appear.
- And then in later years, liver spots or age spots (actinic lentigines) often appear.
All of these skin pigmentations are benign.
How to Identify Different Skin Conditions
SOURCES:
Facial Mole Detection: An Approach towards Face Identification - ScienceDirect
American Academy of Dermatologists
Treatment of congenital facial nevi - PubMed (nih.gov)
C025 Facial mole surgery for cosmetic purposes - ScienceDirect
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.
Browse
Share
