Moles (Nevi), Normal - Health Tips

Your options for treating a mole depend on whether or not the mole is suspicious of skin cancer. Surgical removal is an option if you are interested in treating a mole for cosmetic purposes, or if they are irritated from rubbing against your clothing or jewelry. However, you may be interested in trying something less drastic first, like concealing your mole with makeup.

If a mole is significantly abnormal or suspicious for cancer, a biopsy is recommended to determine an exact diagnosis. Once that is established, definitive treatment options can be discussed to reassure the best possible outcome.

Atypical or dysplastic moles are a type of mole that appear abnormal, but are benign.

A mole (or nevus) is a benign growth of cells that produce pigment in the skin called melanocytes. An atypical or dysplastic mole is one that often looks different clinically and, when biopsied, has atypical features under the microscope; hence it is called “atypical” due to the irregular or unusual features. However, an atypical mole is not cancerous, a pre-melanoma or melanoma; but rather, a benign mole with an atypical architecture and cellular appearance under the microscope.

Since it can be difficult to determine if a suspicious mole is simply atypical or a possible melanoma by only its appearance, your dermatologist may recommend the lesion is biopsied to ensure it is not a dangerous cancer.

If you have a history of atypical moles and possibly other risk factors, it is recommended to practice good sun-protection/sunscreen use daily, perform periodic self-skin exams and have periodic skin exams by your dermatologist.

Remove unsightly or changing moles with minimal scarring using our unique dermatologic, subcutaneous (“under the skin” stitches) closure technique. We remove moles that you don’t like the look of, but more importantly, ones that fail our ABCDEs survey for potential malignancy. (see our Special Topics section of our website on identifying a suspicious-looking mole.)

Laser Mole Removal

Suspect moles are removed using a state of the art laser. Our NYC dermatologists then place deep dermal and superficial sutures. Deep sutures bear all of the tension of a wound, and the superficial sutures approximate the epidermal edges for a cosmetically ideal result. Deep sutures are absorbable and do not need to be removed.

On the face, cutaneous sutures may be removed after about 5 days. On the body, they may be removed between 10-14 days. Prolonged placement of superficial sutures can result in regrowth of skin over the sutures, as well as the formation of unsightly permanent track marks, so we take our sutures out as early as possible.

Sutures are available in various thicknesses that are suitable for different body sites and tissues. As might imagine we need thicker, stronger sutures for the body than we do for the face where there’s far less tension.

Our highly skilled team of New York City Dermatologists will choose the safest and smallest suture that allows the wound edges to touch without cutting into the tissue. Larger-than-necessary sutures do not add to wound strength, attract more bacteria, and end up leaving non-ideal scar patterns.

It’s important to take notice of abnormal moles. If you notice ANY changes or simply don’t like the look of your mole, schedule an appointment at our NYC Dermatology Office or our Brooklyn Dermatology Office by calling 212-385-3700.

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©2012 Bobby Buka, M.D. 220 Front Street | New York, NY 10038. 212-385-3700. 

Moles are the familiar and normal tumors on the skin most people. They can come at any time and at any age. Most occur during one’s adult’s life they come in large numbers as a shower of lesions. It is thought that they tend to disappear spontaneously after a period of many years.

The mole is strictly a tumor of the skin. The nevus cells are bunched together under the skin surface and sometimes, if there are many, they raise the surface of the skin producing the usual dome shaped configuration of a mole. The color of a mole varies from skin color, from light yellow to shades of brown or even bluish-black. They may be smooth or rough, and may be surrounded by redness, or even absence of pigment.

Generally, moles may be left untreated. Unsightly moles may be removed. It is always wise to have the doctor ask for microscopic examination of one or more of the most troublesome moles that are removed.

The average young adult will have about 40 moles. A mole may be dangerous if it changes in color, size or consistency, surface characteristic, of becomes itchy, painful or bloody. If new moles develop close to an old one, and particularly if there is swelling of the nearby lymph glands, the mole may be dangerous. Again, the mole that is fleshy, elevated, and hairy can usually go ignored except for cosmetic reasons. Moles should be removed if the person continually strikes or injures them. Similarly, tumors situated where the clothing rubs or cuts them, or where the razor cuts them should be removed. Some doctors advice removing all moles on the genitals, palms, and soles as well as in blue-black areas in the mouth.

There are many other types of nevus cell tumors. One of these is the so-called giant nevus, or bathing trunk nevus, a brownish tumor that covers a large part of the body. These are important tumors; they show at birth, and they demand medical attention.

Another type of nevus is called the halo nevus. This tumor is surrounded by an area of decreased color and it too should be observed by a physician and probably should be removed.

The blue is a dome shaped blue tumor which is usually innocent, but which again should be observed by a physician from time to time. Some of the other unusual types of nevi that should be mentioned for completeness include the spindle-celled nevus, the pseudomelanomatous nevus, the balloon-cell nevus, and the nevus with globular melanin.

About 9% of people have nevi on the bottom of their feet and 6% have them on the palm of the hand. These may be removed safely, just as all moles can be safely removed.

Closely related to moles are freckles (ephelides), liver spots (senile lentigines), and while these lesions look alike to the eye, they show different changes microscopically. Neither one is serious, nor should both be ignored unless they show signs of change. It is possible to treat them for cosmetic reasons if desired.

The ordinary nevus should so that a good cosmetic result occurs. Complete excisions of these with subsequent suturing is not only unnecessary, but often produces an undesirable result. We attempt to produce the least amount of scar possible, no matter what area is involved.

It is almost always necessary to have follow-up visits after mole removal because we must check to see that the scar is smooth (a keloid will occasionally form, and this type of big scar is usually preventable if caught early). We also check to see if some pigment is reoccurring in the scar. If it does, this brown color can usually be destroyed with just the brief use of the electric needle.

Hairs and moles will not always be destroyed by the surgery because the hair root often goes deeper than the mole itself. If the hairs do come back after surgery, and if they are annoying they can be destroyed by a procedure called epilation of electrolysis.