Mole removal is something which not many people would consider unless it is necessary for various reasons. Some celebrities would even celebrate having those beauty moles on the right places, enhancing their beauty and looks. People would want to get rid of those moles when they are ugly and affect the general appearance of the individual especially when they grow on obvious body areas such as the face, neck or even specifically near the eyes, or mouth. Others remove them because of the enormous numbers they have grown into, affecting the daily activities of the individuals. But there is a third group of people who have no choice but to remove them and these are the ones whose moles have become malignant and cancerous. I would share with you some tips on identifying whether your moles are suspicious and what you show do next.

Moles are skin growths that are generally darker than your surrounding skin. This is understandable as they originate from pigment-producing skin cells called melanocytes. When these cells cluster and congregate together in one place rather than spreading evenly, a mole is born. Moles do not have a specific favorite place to appear as they can show up just about anywhere on our bodies and in the early childhood years.

Adults normally have over 20 moles. If you have noticed those moles on your body, you would realize that over time, some have faded and disappeared, some have grown darker, while some may even have strands of hair. People who are active in sports or are constantly out in the open and exposed to the sun would usually have darker moles.

Most moles if not all are harmless and do not interfere with the lives and activities of people. Majority of the population have no problem with them and can live with it all their lives as they neither cause pain or itch or any form of irritation. Unfortunately, amongst different kinds of skin growths like skin tags, warts, etc, moles have a higher tendency to become cancerous.

Moles can be categorized into 2 main types. One called congenital nevi, the other called atypical moles or dysplastic nevi. As the name suggests, congenital nevi appears at birth and only 1 out of every 100 persons are born with such moles, ie the probability of having such a mole at birth is about 1%. These moles are special because of its greater potential and risk to develop into malignant melanoma, ie cancerous growth than normal moles that appear after birth.

Dysplastic nevi are characterized by its larger-than-normal size. They come in different shapes, sizes and colour. Sometimes, each mole can be non-uniformed in color. Medical studies have revealed that the occurrence of this kind of moles can be linked to hereditary reasons and can get passed down from one generation to another. They become potentially dangerous when the numbers are great ie in the region of up to 100 moles and when they grow out of proportion.

So how do you know if your moles are harmless or malignant? Here are several tips to look out for when scrutinizing your moles.

1. Appearance Change Over Time

I mentioned earlier that the size of mole is a good indicator. If the congenital nevi grows beyond 7 inches, it is a clear sign that it could very well be malignant. However, other than their parents, most adults won’t recall if the moles were developed at birth or after birth. As a simple rule of thumb, if they have grown larger than the size of a pencil tip (eraser tip), it is time to consult the dermatologist. Bleeding and itchiness could signal malignance as well.

2. Number of Moles

When the number of moles increases to such alarming numbers, this is not a healthy sign.

3. Symmetry of Moles

Moles are generally symmetrical in shape and each half should be identical to each other. Unhealthy and cancerous moles are asymmetrical in shape because of the growth.

4. Colour of Moles

Healthy moles are uniform in colour. When a mole becomes cancerous, there is a likelihood of colour change as different colour tones appear.

The above abnormalities should be a strong prompting for you to visit the dermatologist. A simple biopsy would be performed to excise a mole tissue sample for diagnosis. If you wish to learn more about the modern methods of treatment, the pros and cons of such mole removal methods and how you can effectively remove them naturally from home, do visit my blog.