Almost everyone has moles, and they gradually increase as we grow older. However, moles and moles are not the same, some are flat, some are protruding, some are dark, some are light, some are born and some appear only when they grow up …… Then the question arises, what kind of moles are safe and what kind of moles are malignant? Can moles be removed or not? What method should be used to remove it? I believe that everyone has had similar questions in their minds.
The three brothers in the mole world have very different personalities
Mole, in fact, is a benign skin tumor, formed by the increase of local skin melanocytes, can be born or can occur later in life. As we all know, human skin is composed of epidermis and dermis, and we classify moles into: intradermal moles, mixed moles and junctional moles according to the skin layer where the moles are located. Let’s call them to introduce themselves below.
Intradermal nevus: “I come from the dermis and often protrude from the skin in a hemispherical shape. I love to grow on my head and neck, so you may think I’m ugly, but I’m actually very quiet and usually don’t make any trouble”.
Junctional nevus: “I am named because I grow on the junction of the dermis and epidermis, generally flat, or only slightly higher than the skin, especially like to grow in the hands, feet and intimate parts of friction. My emotions are not as stable as my big brother’s intradermal nevus, so I may get mad if I’m stimulated a lot!”
Mixed nevus: “I have the characteristics of both big brother (intradermal nevus) and second brother (junctional nevus), and can protrude from the skin like big brother, but with a smooth halo around me, which is the shadow of second brother. Some people also say that I am a product of the evolution process from the second brother to the big brother. How to say, I am generally not dangerous, but there is the shadow of the second brother in, we still need to pay attention”.
The moles carried by the mother’s womb are safe, and the moles grown later are dangerous? Wrong
After listening to their own introduction, we can learn that: the mole cells of junctional nevus are relatively active and can grow everywhere in the body, especially like to grow in the hands, feet and intimate parts that love to rub, which is the most prone to malignant change. However, junctional nevi are often present at birth or appear soon after birth. Therefore, it is wrong to say that “moles that are present at birth are safe”.
Of course, the other two types of moles are not absolutely safe either. Therefore, the safety of a mole cannot be judged by whether it was born or appeared later in life, and the ones born are not always the best.
Are flat moles safe and protruding moles unsafe? No.
It was mentioned earlier that junctional nevi are usually flat or only slightly raised above the skin surface, while intradermal nevi are hemispherical and raised. But in fact, the chance of malignant change of junctional nevus is higher than that of intradermal nevus. Therefore, a flat mole does not mean that it is safe.
Are hairless moles safe and hairy moles unsafe? Wrong
There is also a saying circulating in academic circles: “A mole with long hair is not malignant!” We have also observed clinically that moles that are malignant are often hairless. However, there are also moles with long hair that have malignant changes. So, it is not absolute.
Dark colored moles are bad and light colored moles are safe? No.
The color is not the most important, but the best is the uniform color. A dark but evenly colored mole is safer than a light colored mole with varying shades and unclear edges.
Are moles around the eyes bad? Wrong
In fact, there is no significant difference in the chance of malignancy among moles in different parts of the face. Folklore says that moles around the eyes or at the corners of the mouth are bad, which belongs to the category of facial physiognomy and will not be explained in this article. However, from a medical point of view, moles that grow on friction areas such as palms, feet and vulva have a high rate of malignancy because they are often stimulated by friction. Especially for us Chinese, the good sites for malignant melanoma are the palms of hands and feet, so moles in these areas need to be alerted.
If the director of “Do Not Disturb” had placed the mole on the bottom of the foot instead of the back of the foot, it would have been more credible.
Remember the “three big developments” to determine the “fatal mole”
In order to find “fatal moles” early, I would like to teach you a recipe, that is – “three big developments”, namely: asymmetry, irregularity, unevenness (color), large (diameter greater than 6 mm), development (increase in volume, deepening color, bleeding, breaking, itching, pain, etc.).
Asymmetry: drawing a line from the middle, the shape and color of both sides of the mole are different.
Irregular: the surface is not smooth, the edge is not shiny, the boundary is not clear or the outline is irregular.
Uneven: Uneven color, different shades or mixed with different colors.
Large: The diameter is often larger than 6 mm.
Development: The volume of the mole increases rapidly from the original one, the color suddenly deepens or becomes uneven, many small moles appear around the large mole, or there are symptoms such as bleeding, breaking, itching and pain.
Most of the early melanomas have all the above five characteristics, but there are only cases with only 1~2 of the above characteristics.
Moles must be removed when malignant signs are found
Moles with the above-mentioned malignant tendencies must be removed. Moles that grow on the palms of your hands, soles of your feet, and other places that are prone to friction are also best removed. Other moles can also be removed if you feel they are really unsightly.
If you suspect that a mole is malignant, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible to see a doctor and have a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis!
To get rid of moles, either don’t take them or be thorough!
The principle of removing moles is: either don’t take them or be thorough! Moles that are larger (2mm or more), rubbing areas, or have the tendency to become malignant must be removed completely by surgery. A linear scar will be left after the surgery. Through precise cosmetic stitching and then applying scar removal medication after the surgery, the scar can gradually become lighter until it is not visible. So you don’t have to worry too much about the scarring problem!
Small moles are safe and can be frozen or lasered
Many patients have many moles on their faces, but they are small and relatively safe, so they can also choose freezing and laser. Compared with surgical excision, freezing and laser are cheaper, relatively simple and fast, and generally do not leave a scar. However, the disadvantage is that they are easy to recur. For recurring moles, it is not recommended to repeatedly use laser and freezing treatment to avoid stimulating the malignant change of mole cells. In addition, both freezing and laser methods have the possibility of leaving scars and pigmentation.
Don’t go to non-professional institutions to “spot moles”
Mole spotting with corrosive drops was once popular, but this is actually a very undesirable way to remove moles. Because this treatment is a kind of bad stimulation to moles, it may cause malignant changes instead.
Especially some beauty salons without medical qualifications cannot distinguish between benign and malignant moles, and their wrong operation can only be counterproductive.