Moles

Moles are skin growths made up of cells that produce color (pigment). A mole can appear anywhere on the skin, alone or in groups. They are usually brown but can be blue, black, or flesh-colored. Most moles are harmless.

Your doctor may remove a mole in any of these ways:

• Cutting it off. Some moles can be "shaved" off flush with the skin. Other moles may have cells that go underneath the skin. In that case, your doctor might make a deeper cut to remove the entire mole and prevent it from growing back. This cut may require stitches.
• Freezing it with liquid nitrogen. Your doctor will swab or spray a small amount of super-cold liquid nitrogen on the mole. You might have a small blister where the mole was, but it will heal on its own.
• Burning it off. An electric current passes through a wire that becomes hot. The wire is used to burn off the upper layers of the skin. You may need more than one treatment to remove a mole.

The procedure may hurt a little, but your doctor will numb the area with an anesthetic first. If the procedure causes any bleeding, your doctor may apply a medicine that helps stop the bleeding. Then the doctor will put a bandage on the area. These procedures usually leave only small scars or marks.

• Check all the skin on your body regularly for skin growths or other changes, such as in the color and feel of the skin.
  • Stand in front of a full-length mirror. Look carefully at the front and back of your body. Then look at your right and left sides with your arms raised.
  • Bend your elbows and look carefully at your forearms, the back of your upper arms, and your palms.
  • Look at your feet, the bottoms of your feet, and the spaces between your toes.
  • Use a hand mirror to look at the back of your legs, the back of your neck, and your back, rear end (buttocks), and genital area. Part the hair on your head to look at your scalp.
• If you see a change in a skin growth, contact your doctor. Look for:
  • A mole that bleeds.
  • A fast-growing mole.
  • A scaly or crusted growth on the skin.
  • A sore that will not heal.

To prevent skin cancer

• Always wear sunscreen on exposed skin. Make sure to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Use it every day, even when it is cloudy.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat and long sleeves and pants if you are going to be outdoors for very long.
• Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., which is the peak time for the sun's ultraviolet rays.
• Avoid sunburns, tanning booths, and sunlamps.
• Be sure to protect children from the sun. Sunburns in childhood damage the skin and increase the risk of cancer.