That’s a question I hear a lot as most people have no idea whether their moles are normal or are abnormal.  Too often people are too nervous to even face the question because they are afraid of what they might find out.  This is not a wise thing to do though because moles have the potential to develop into a form of skin cancer called melanoma if the early warning signs are not detected and acted upon.

Back to the question, “Is my mole normal?”  You basically want to look at the size, colour and shape of your mole.  The rule of melanoma detection is a great way to determine whether your moles are normal or not. It has been simplified into the handy little acronym ABCD.

• Asymmetry
• Border irregularity
• Colour variation
• Diameter

So what does all that mean?  Let’s find out!

Asymmetry

Normally a mole will grow in a symmetrical fashion, in other words one half of the mole will look like the other half.  In an asymmetrical mole the halves will look different.  This is because one half of the mole is growing quicker than the other.  If your mole is asymmetric you should see your doctor and start to discuss what is entailed when removing moles.

Border irregularity

Typically the edges of a normal mole are well defined and sharp.  If your moles edges are notched, blurred, irregular or notched you should see your doctor and ask him about removal of moles.

Colour variation

A normal mole will generally have a uniform or consistent colour.  If your mole is not the same colour all over but has different shades of brown, black, red, white or tan you should start considering a mole removal procedure and talk about it with your local doctor.

Diameter

The size of a mole will usually stay the same for a normal mole.  If your mole is larger than 6mm or is continuing to grow you should see your local doctor.

Summary

If you have any of the above ABCD symptoms on your existing moles you should contact your local doctor immediately and discuss mole removal surgery.  Other symptoms can be redness, itchiness, bleeding, pain or a scaly appearance.  Now you may check all of your current moles and find that they are all fine which is great.  But I want you to be vigilant, if at any time you notice a mole changing size, colour or shape you should contact your local doctor immediately also. Early detection is the best prevention for skin cancer in particular melanoma.

You should also consider having a consultation with a dermatologist so they can do a full body scan and map all of your current moles.  If you have these done regularly the dermatologist is able to detect changes in your moles.  Just so that you know a dermatologist is a doctor who specialises in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of skin disease and skin cancers

I want to repeat that the ABCD checks above are extremely important in the early detection of skin cancer.  If you are unsure in anyway see your local doctor as you could require immediate mole removal.  It is better to be safe than sorry and don’t worry about the mole removal cost as your health is more important than money.

In a previous post I talked about five different ways of mole removal.  Go and have a read if you don’t know what options are available to you then come back here, I promise I’ll wait for you.  OK, so you are all clued up on the different options available when considering mole removal?  Now I would like to talk about the risks involved when having a mole removal procedure performed on you.

The risks associated with removing moles are generally the same as any risk you might have when a surgical procedure is performed on you.  Removal of moles is considered rather low risk but it should be noted that no surgical procedure is 100% risk free so keep that in mind.

Infection

Our skin is a natural barrier to infection and anytime it is opened we are at risk of getting an infection.  So if you have your mole removed through an incision there is a small chance you could get an infection.  It’s also why you should take care of the area after surgery by changing dressings and washing according to your doctors instructions.

Wounds or scarring

When you have a mole removed most of the time you are going to end up with a mole removal scar especially if an incision is made.  This may sound hard to believe but a lot of people don’t realise that this is likely to occur and receive a rude shock after the operation.  The good news is the scar will fade with time.  If you are having a mole removed in an area that you don’t want scarring, such as your face, you should consult with your doctor or dermatologist as to the best non-scarring options available to you such as laser mole removal.

Bleeding

There is going to be a small amount of bleeding when your mole is removed, this is unavoidable.  The risk here is if you lose too much blood and is more of an issue for larger surgical procedures and a blood transfusion may be necessary if too much blood is lost.  You shouldn’t have any real issues here so I wouldn’t be too concerned about the risks associated with bleeding.

 Anesthesia complications

It’s pretty uncommon but there can be serious complications arising from the anesthesia process.  The most common problem is if you are allergic to the anesthesia drug which could spark an allergic reaction.  Other issues are with the way the breathing tube is inserted into your throat which could result in breathing food or fluid into your lungs, there is a chance you could also experience an increased heart rate or elevated blood pressure during the operation.  These issues are all associated with a general anesthesia and thankfully you will most likely be only having a local anesthetic.  A local anesthetic is only applied to the region of your mole therefore reducing the risks of complications.

Summary

So as you can see there are a few risks associated with mole removal surgery; however, they are fairly low.  The biggest risk is really if you will be happy with the amount of scarring that occurs.  As always if you have any concerns about the risks of removing moles you should talk to your doctor or dermatologist.

Melanoma is the the most aggressive of all skin cancers and the most dangerous.  If left untreated it can cause serious sickness or in extreme cases, death.  Now the good news is that melanoma is not very common and is easily detectable and treatable by mole removal surgery.  There are some simple warnings signs that you can keep an eye out for.  You can read about these warning signs in a previous post ‘Should I consider mole removal or is my mole normal?‘ and pay particular attention to the acronym ABCD.

What puts me at risk?

There are several things that can increase your chances of melanoma and they can generally be grouped into five categories: sun exposure, skin type, number of moles, genetics and a weakened immune system.  If you have a combination of these categories it increases the chances that you will have to have a mole removal procedure.

Sun exposure

One of the biggest contributors to skin cancer is exposure to the sun’s UV rays.  The affects of UV radiation are most severe at midday when the sun is at it’s brightest.  Here is something that is interesting although a little scary!  If you have severe sunburn as a child it increases your risk of skin cancer later in life.  This is a good enough reason for me to cover up my little boy when we are out in the sun.

Skin type

Fair skinned people are at a higher risk as their skin burns easily and generally these people will also have blond or red hair and blue eyes.  Having a lot of freckles can increase your risk as well because people with freckles burn easily also.  Now if you have darker skin it is unwise to think you can’t get skin cancer because this is just not true!

Number of moles

If you have a large number of moles you are at higher risk.  With such a larger number of moles there is more chance that one of them could become cancerous.  I’ve mentioned this previously but where you live can affect how many moles you will have.  If you live in places with a lot of sun, like Australia, you are going to naturally have a larger number of moles.  A good rule of thumb is between 25 - 40 moles is fine.

Genetics

If anyone in your immediate family; father, mother, siblings, children, has had melanoma it increases your chances by up to 50% compared to a person who has had no family history.  If you’ve ever had melanoma previously it also increases your risk of getting it again which can be quite devastating.  Just when you think you have beaten it you may have to go through it all again not to mention that fact that you’ll probably end up with another mole removal scar.

A weakened immune system

People with weakened immune systems are at a greater risk.  This could be due to certain types of drugs that are being taken to treat cancer or due to viruses such as HIV/AIDS.

Summary

There are several factors that increase your odds of getting melanoma.  If you have any of the conditions mentioned above you should consult your local doctor or see a dermatologist and ask them about removing moles.  It is always better to be safe than sorry!