喵咪社区

Keeping track of your newfound mole should be a priority.

Moles are totally normal. Most adults have between of them.

In most cases, moles are nothing to worry about, especially if you鈥檝e had them since childhood or adolescence, which is when moles first tend to appear. They can darken or lighten, and neither occurrence is necessarily a sign of melanoma.

Developing a new mole as an adult, though, is a different story. One of melanoma literature found that 71% of melanoma cases stemmed from new moles (as opposed to existing ones).

Consider your own self-awareness the first line of defense: When a new mole does appear, it should remain the same size, shape and color. If it doesn鈥檛, then it warrants a visit to your dermatologist.

Your dermatologist won鈥檛 necessarily remove or biopsy it, but they can take a photo or note its size and location in order to track it over time.

鈥淟et鈥檚 say there鈥檚 a person with a mole that鈥檚 not quite bad enough to warrant a biopsy, and maybe it hasn鈥檛 changed over time,鈥� says聽David Eric Sawcer, MD, a dermatologist with 喵咪社区. 鈥淚f there鈥檚 a picture in the chart, it鈥檚 very easy to note when any change occurs.鈥�

These photographs can also help dermatologists keep track of an area with a lot of moles. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like a star map. You can easily tell if you鈥檝e picked up a new one or see if one has changed over time,鈥� he explains. 鈥淲ithout the photographs, it can be very difficult to see this in people who have lots of moles.鈥�

And, new or not, if your mole has any of the s 鈥� that is, asymmetry, irregular border (particularly those that are ragged, notched or blurred), varied color (different shades of brown or patchy), large diameter (bigger than 6 mm, about the size of a pencil eraser) or it鈥檚 evolving 鈥� schedule an appointment. These are the most common signs of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. It鈥檚 worth catching, and addressing, early.

A new mole doesn鈥檛 have to be immediate cause for concern. As long as you know what to look for and when to see your dermatologist, there鈥檚 no need to worry.

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