Types of moles
Remove your moles and skin tags is easier than what you think.
There are many types of moles on your skin. It is important that we identify and classify the type of lesion that you have in order to decide whether you need a treatment or not.
Benign moles or Moles can be classified as:
Melanocytic nevi
Melanocytic nevi can be classified as well in three types according to their position in the skin: they can be Junctional nevi if they are located in between the epidermis and the dermis, Intradermal nevi if the are deeper, and mixed if the occupy the whole thickness of the skin.
Epidermal nevi
Epidermal nevi are abnormal, non cancerous (benign) skin lesions caused by excessive growth of cells in the epidermis. Epidermal moles are usually visible from the moment the patient is born or at an earlier age. People with epidermal nevi usually have more than one in different areas of the body.
Sebaceous nevi
It is a mole made of sebaceous glands so it doesn’t have the typical brownish color. It occurs very often on the scalp, is yellowish to orange color and the surface is shiny or a little bit risen. It is benign and there is no need to remove it or biopsy it.
There are also rarer moles like Spitz Nevus, Becker Nevus, Congenital Nevus and Spilus Nevus. These can be diagnosed easily by the Dermatologist with a special lens called Dermatoscopy.
Before the procedure
GET IT SCANNED WITH DEMOSCOPY OR EPILUMINISCENCE BY A DERMATOLOGIST
Simple eye examination is not enough. Dermatologists use a special device to see more and better.
Naked eye
This is how a mole looks to the naked eye.
By dermoscopy
This is what a dermatologist can see with dermoscopy.
By dermoscopy
And this is how a malignant melanoma looks by dermoscopy.
It looks confusing
And this mole might look malignant but it is not. Don’t worry if it looks confusing. Have a dermatologist examine this for you properly.
Inicial diagnosis
Moles can be completely benign (MELANOCYTIC NEVI), can be bad tumors (MALIGNANT MELANOMA), or can be in between, moles that start changing and may become malignant one day (DYSPLASTIC NEVI).
You will be given an initial diagnosis, either:
If they look alright
Your mole looks fine and you can keep it or remove it by the shaving procedure.
Everyone of us has several Melanocytic Nevi, usually in a reduced number of less than 50. They are regular, oval or round, symmetric, have one or two colors usually and their borders are neat and clear. Having too many Melanocytic Nevi may mean that you are prone to develop bad moles in the future. Therefore you are recommended to get your moles scanned.
IF THE LOOK ALLRIGHT, DECIDE WHICH ONES YOU WANT TO REMOVE
Your mole doesn’t look right
Your mole doesn’t look right and you should have it excised and sent it to the pathologist to confirm the diagnosis.
Malignant Melanoma is a bad tumor and may look irregular, have several different colors and bleed sometimes. If not removed on time it may produce metastases and kill you. Its incidence is increasing specially among white skin population.
IF THEY DON’T LOOK BENIGN: GET THEM BIOPSIED
We offer you the possibility of having your mole removed and sent to the pathologist to determine whether it was really a malignant or dyslplasic nevus or not.
Moles treatment in London
The mole removal procedure takes around 5 minutes and is comfortable for the patient.
This is how we do it:
1. Injection of local anesthesia.
2. We use a cold blade to flatten the mole and remove it.
3. We reduce the bleeding coagulating with radiofrequency or Monsel Solution.
- 4. The post procedure is very simple, it is important to apply a regenerating cream and avoid the sun for the first few days. During the following weeks the skin will heal and the wound will be imperceptible.
Frequently asked questions about mole removal.
The most frequently asked questions about mole removal can be found here: