Time to remove that mole
ALL of us have moles – that is small, dark, round spots on our skin. They may be present at birth or they may arise later in life. Most moles will appear within the first few years of life.
The incidence of moles tends to increase in childhood, peak in adolescence and decrease in older adults. Most moles are not dangerous but there are certain changes a mole may undergo – eg change in colour, size or appearance which should tip you off that something is going on. At this point you should then visit your dermatologist to remove the mole.
Although most of us have moles and these do not cause any problems, if the mole starts to change its appearance suddenly we should have it removed. If the mole starts to change its colour we should remove it. If the colour of the surface of the mole varies you should have it checked out, also, if the borders of the mole are irregular.
You should take the mole off if it starts to increase in size suddenly. Most moles should be smaller than the eraser on a pencil. If the mole starts to bleed or to ooze you should also have it checked out.
Other reasons for removing moles include if they are exposed and subject to constant physical irritation – eg if they are irritated when we shave; if they are irritated by jewellery; by brassiere straps or if they are at the waist and belts irritate them.
Moles on the palms of the hand, the soles of the feet or in the eye or the mouth or the sexual organs should be removed as in these sites we are always worried about the moles becoming cancerous.
All tissue removed from the human body should be sent to the lab in order to rule out any cancerous change.
The removal of most moles is done in the office of the dermatologist. Removal of the mole is easy. Just visit your dermatologist and he will set up an appointment. He may want to do a test of your blood sugar, then when it’s time for surgery a cream called ELMA is applied to the mole and it is left on for an hour. The mole is then removed.
In smaller children we can immobilise them and take off the moles and in some instances we may need to give them a general anaesthetic.
So please do not be alarmed. If you have a mole which is troubling you. Call your dermatologist and arrange for a visit.
We realise off course that there are people with hundreds of moles and in these cases we would only take off the suspicious looking ones and carefully observe the others over a period of time.
Dr Persadsingh, skin specialist, is the author of Acne in Black Women and The Hair in Black Women. Visit his website acneinblackwomen.com for a free download of cosmetics and moisturisers for the woman with acne.
