People with light skin tend to have more moles. The technical name for a mole is nevus plural: nevi. It comes from the Latin word for birthmark. Moles usually emerge in childhood and adolescence, and change in size and color as you grow. New moles commonly appear at times when your hormone levels change, such as during pregnancy.
Mole color ranges from pink to dark brown or black. They can be anywhere on your body, alone or in groups. Almost all moles are benign noncancerous. But new moles in an adult are more likely to become cancerous than old moles. There are many types of moles, categorized by when they appear, what they look like, and their risk of becoming cancerous.
These moles are called birthmarks and vary widely in size, shape, and color. About 0. Some birthmarks may be treated for cosmetic reasons when the child is older, for example, age 10 to 12 and better able to tolerate local anesthetic. Treatment options include:. Larger congenital moles have a greater risk of becoming malignant in adulthood 4 to 6 percent lifetime risk. Changes in growth, color, shape, or pain of a birthmark should be evaluated by a doctor.
They can appear anywhere on your skin. People with fair skin can normally have between 10 and 40 of these moles. If you have darker skin or dark hair, your moles may be darker than those of people with fairer skin. Atypical moles can appear anywhere on your body. Atypical moles are often on the trunk, but you can also get them on your neck, head, or scalp. They rarely appear on the face. Some dermatologists may recommend that people take monthly pictures of areas with lots of moles, such as the back, in order to spot changes.
Checking areas such as the nails, feet, and hands are also important as melanomas can also arise in these locations. Moles are skin growths made of melanocytes. While most moles develop during childhood and adolescence, adults can also develop new moles.
Not all moles that appear in adulthood are melanomas. However, if a new mole arises, or if a person notices any changes to their existing moles, they should visit a doctor or dermatologist for checks. People who have a family history of atypical moles or melanoma should also have skin checks regularly. Some people use home remedies to get rid of their moles.
However, these remedies have not been proven to be safe or effective. Instead, people are…. When a new mole appears or a previously stable mole begins changing, it could be a sign of cancer. What about when a mole disappears? Moles are small skin lesions consisting of cells that produce melanin. Moles are usually brown, and round or oval with a smooth edge. Their colour ranges from pinkish red or light brown to dark brown or black.
Moles can be flat, bumpy or verrucous like a wart. They usually occur in body parts that are frequently exposed to the sun, but they can be found anywhere, even inside the mouth, eyes and genitals. Moles are usually benign harmless , but they can sometimes change and become skin cancer melanoma. This can be very serious and sometimes lead to death if not treated in time.
Yes they can, although melanoma in children is very rare. Only one child in one million children below age 15 develops melanoma. Dermatologists and other health-care professionals use the letters "ABCDE" as a guide when checking the skin for potentially harmful changes in existing or new moles.
If a mole has any of these characteristics, it should be examined more closely. Skip to main content. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Brown, wart-like growths that appear on the face or trunk and look as if they have been stuck onto the skin may be harmless growths called seborrheic keratoses.
Multiple small gray-brown spots that may appear on wrists, backs of the hands, forearms, and face are actinic lentigines. They are not cancers. Both actinic lentigines and seborrheic keratoses are easily diagnosed by a dermatologist. They will never be a threat to the health of the person. 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 changes in size, shape, color, bleeds, itches, becomes painful, or moles that appear when a person is past twenty. If you notice a mole that does not follow the normal patterns, a dermatologist may be able to assure you that the mole is harmless, or confirm that it is cancerous. He or she may remove the mole or part of it biopsy to study it under a microscope.
This is a simple and harmless procedure. If the growth was only partially removed and it is found to be cancerous, then the entire lesion and an extra margin of safety will need to be removed. A person may wish to get rid of moles that are irritating them, or simply because they are unattractive. The most common methods of removal include numbing and shaving the mole off, or cutting out the entire lesion and stitching the area closed. Sometimes a mole will recur after it is removed.
If a mole has been removed and begins to reappear, the patient should return to the dermatologist. Irritation will not cause a mole to become cancerous, but a person might want to have moles that are frequently shaved over removed because they are annoying. Some moles with hairs are considered unattractive. Moles can also be excised cut out and stitched together to remove the mole and the hair.
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