Moles: Types, Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Moles are a common type of growth on the skin. They often appear as small, dark brown spots and are caused by clusters of pigmented cells. Moles generally appear during childhood and adolescence. Most of the people have ten to forty five moles, the majority of that seem before age forty. Some moles might fade or disappear as you age.

Most moles are harmless. Rarely, they become cancerous. Monitoring moles and alternative pigmented patches is a very important step in detecting skin cancer, particularly melanoma.

There are many skin lesions that are quite common and benign (non-cancerous). These conditions embody moles, freckles, skin tags, benign lentigines, and seborrheic keratoses.

Types of moles

There are many different types of moles, the most common are:

• junctional melanocytic naevi  these are usually brown, round and flat
• dermal melanocytic naevi  these are usually raised, pale and sometimes hairy
• compound melanocytic naevi  these are usually raised above the skin, light brown and sometimes hairy

Rarer types of moles include:

• halo naevi moles surrounded by a white ring where the skin has lost its colour
• dysplastic or atypical naevi (also known as Clark naevi) unusual looking and slightly larger moles that can be a range of colours and either flat or bumpy
• blue naevi dark blue moles

Moles in children

Moles on a young child’s skin are usually nothing to worry. It’s normal for new moles to appear throughout childhood and adolescence. Moles can grow as the kid grows. Some moles can darken, and others can lighten. These changes are expected in kids and rarely a sign of melanoma a sort of skin cancer that may start in a mole.

Causes of Moles

The genes we inherit from our parents, along with the amount of sun to which we are exposed (especially during childhood) are major factors in determining mole numbers. Skin with more sun exposure tends to have more moles. However, moles may also occur in sun-protected areas like the palms, soles, and genitals.

Both moles and freckles (medically termed ephelides) are darker than the surrounding skin. Moles may be raised or completely flat while freckles are always totally flat. Freckles and “sun spots” (medically termed lentigines) are due to an increase in the amount of dark pigment called melanin. Moles are more common in people prone to freckles. Freckles are flat spots that are tan, slightly reddish, or light-brown and typically appear during the sunny months. They are most often found in people with light complexions. Many people with blond or red hair and green or blue eyes are more prone to these types of skin spots. Sun avoidance and sun protection, including the regular use of sunscreen may help to suppress the appearance of some types of moles and freckles.

Moles occur in all races (Caucasian, Asian, African, and Indian) and skin colors. Moles also are seen in animals.

Can a Mole turn into melanoma?

How Are Moles Treated?

If a dermatologist believes a mole needs to be evaluated further or removed entirely, he or she will either remove the entire mole, or first take just a small tissue sample of the mole to examine thin sections of the tissue under a microscope (a biopsy). This is a simple procedure. (If the dermatologist thinks the mole might be cancerous, cutting through the mole will not cause the cancer to spread.)

If the mole is found to be cancerous, and only a small section of tissue was taken, the dermatologist will remove the entire mole by cutting out the entire mole and a rim of normal skin around it, and stitching the wound closed.