Most of us have a number of skin marks or moles all over our body, most of which we’ve had since birth. How and when you got that skin blemish can make it quite difficult for the average person like you and me to know which skin mole is dangerous without having to undergo mole mapping, and which one is normal. I’m sure you’ve heard or witnessed horror stories of skin cancer being detected too late, and the agony that comes with it. This is the main reason why it’s really important to give your skin a good look on a regular basis. And if you find that any of the blemishes or a skin mole appear slightly abnormal, then it’s time to pay your dermatologist or specialist a visit at your earliest convenience.
But how can you know a skin mole is dangerous or not without having to undergo a mole mapping session? Well, I caught up with Dr. Ali Razzak, a Family Medicine Consultant King’s College Hospital Dubai, who simplified some of the major features of an abnormal skin mole, and what to look out for.
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Four Ways to Identify a Dangerous Skin Mole
1. Is the mole itchy?
A normal mole should not have any symptoms of itching. If you find that one particular skin mole is itchier than the others and you find that you need to scratch it, then that can be a sign that there might be something more sinister at play, and you should have that mole mapping session scheduled ASAP.
2. Is your mole irregular in shape?
The first tell-tale sign that you should take a closer look at your mole is if it tends to be irregular in shape. Most of the times when we look at a particular mole or moles on the skin, they tend to be quite circular or oval in shape. But if you have ones that are slightly irregular in their border or outline, then that can be a sign of an abnormal or a dangerous mole.
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3. Is the mole growing in size?
Most moles can grow very slowly over time. However, they tend to remain the same size over the majority of someone’s lifetime. But if the skin mole is larger than 6 millimeters and it’s growing rapidly or changing in size, then this is something to go and see your doctor about and have a mole mapping session to figure out what it is.
4. Is the mole bleeding?
Does the mole ever bleed? If you’ve ever noticed that when the mole catches or bumps on an object and starts bleeding slightly, then that could be a sign that it’s something more suspicious that needs further investigation.
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How to Diagnose Skin Mole and Possible Treatment
The latest way to diagnose a mole, according to Dr. Ali, is through mole a mapping technology where a photo finder system is used. This allows the doctor to take high-quality digital images of your entire body surface. And if any abnormal-looking moles are found, then they are looked at in further detail.
What is Mole Mapping?
The whole idea behind mole mapping is that instead of you looking at your whole body or taking pictures using your own camera phone, you are able to see a doctor in a controlled environment where they can methodically and systematically photograph the entire surface of your body and any skin mole and store that information in a very safe and confidential manner for comparison in the future. “Any normal person should have mole mapping done at least once a year,” advises the doctor, noting that for some people with suspicious blemishes, they may have mole mapping done more frequently.
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Treating Moles
If your doctor or dermatologist notices that you have an abnormal-looking skin mole during your mole mapping, he/she can directly refer you to a plastic surgery consultant who is an expert in the management of skin cancers. And if the situation requires any excision of or removal of the mole, it can be done in the most professional manner in order to minimize the risk of scar formation particularly in sensitive areas like around the face and other parts of the body.
Have you ever had a worrisome skin mole, and did you do the diagnosis with mole mapping? Feel free to share your experience in the comments.
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