How to Tell if a Mole Might Be Dangerous: Mole Warning Signs & Mole Removal
Image: A back full of moles and it is the light pinkish mole that is suspicious
Step-By-Step Through the Mole Examination & Mole Removal Process
Recently I discovered a tiny round black spot about two inches above my navel, not quite as big as the head of a pin. Thinking it was a tiny black seed tick, I tried to get it off, but I soon realized it was no tick. About a month later when the tiny black lesion had not gone away, I went to my dermatologist, Dr. Ann Evers, to have it checked out.
My doctor was as concerned as I was, for the same reasons:
- It was a new mole
- It was dark black in color
- I have a history of precancerous moles and skin cancer. Too much time in the sun in my youth and possibly genetics have caught up with me.
Dr. Evers immediately said the mole needed to be removed.
Before she removed it, she looked at my back and found a mole with the almost exact opposite appearance, larger, more oblong, and a pale pinkish color with some variations. Dr. Evers said that recently, she has seen many of these pinkish-colored moles turn out to have some pre-cancerous properties, so she said the mole on my back needed to come off also.
The process began with her nurse who came in to numb the two areas.
This photo shows the mole and small puncture from the injection of the anesthetic. Notice the mole is not much larger than the puncture.
Next Dr. Evers came in and removed the mole along with some of the tissue around it. The process was painless because the site had been numbed.
After removing the mole, Dr. Evers put in a couple of stitches. She topped it off with a large bandage.
She repeated the process with the pinkish mole on my back. The mole on my back was larger and the stitches look like a different material than the stitches on my stomach. Both areas were covered with large, padded bandages.
The bandages need to be removed twice a day, the wounds cleaned with hydrogen peroxide, and Vaseline applied before the wounds are re-bandaged every day until both wounds are healed.
The moles and the surrounding tissue will be sent to a lab where they will be examined to see if there are any cancerous cells.
I go back to Dr. Evers office in 12 days to have the stitches removed and to find out the results of the lab tests. I will report the findings on this site.
The process was completely painless except for a little sting when the pain killer was injected, but several hours later, when the anesthetic wore off, there was some discomfort at both sites, especially my back. Aspirin or a stronger pain reliever can be helpful after a larger mole is removed.
October 3 Update: The biopsies came back for both moles and my dermatologist’s nurse called me today to let me know they were both benign.
See this related story from the same dermatologist visit:
Treating Milia — Step-by-Step Photos of Surgical Removal of a Milium
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heya, fantastic site, and really good information about dangerous moles! will add to my favorites.
Great warning and information about moles! I have been seeking for some thing such as this for quite a while today. With thanks!