Moles are extremely common with most people having between 10- 40 moles on their body. Generally, people are either born with moles (congenital moles), or they acquire moles during childhood and early adulthood. Most people will not develop moles after the age of 20; however, when moles appear after this age they are at a great risk of developing into skin cancer. Yet, how will you know if you should be concerned about any of your moles? Here are a few of the signs indicating that you should have a mole checked by a doctor for signs of melanoma.
Large Moles
You should consider having a mole looked at by a doctor if it is unusually large. Moles typically are the size of a pencil eraser or smaller. Moles that are larger than this size are considered atypical and need to be checked periodically for signs of melanoma.
New Moles
As we previously mentioned, new moles generally do not appear after the age of 20. If a new mole develops after this age, it is important that you see a doctor as they may want to remove it and test it to determine whether it is cancerous.
Evolving Moles
If your mole starts to evolve this could be a sign of problems. Be aware of how your moles normally look and keep an eye out for any changes. If your mole grows, changes shape, or changes color, this could be a cause for concern and the mole will likely need to be removed and sent out for testing.
Ultimately, it is important that you keep an eye on your moles so that you can catch melanomas as soon as possible. If you are worried about any mole, it is best to be on the safe side and have it inspected and/or removed. Contact us to learn more about moles and how you can tell if a mole may need to be removed. 845-691-3773. Ask for Dr. Stephen Weinman.
