A mole, known medically as a nevus, is a common skin growth that forms when melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells, grow in clusters. While most moles are harmless, attempting to scratch off, pick at, or otherwise remove a mole at home is highly discouraged by medical professionals. This self-treatment is potentially dangerous and can lead to complications that far outweigh any cosmetic benefit.
The Dangers of Traumatizing a Mole
Deliberately or accidentally traumatizing a mole carries several immediate physical risks. Moles, especially raised ones, often have a good blood supply, meaning that scratching or tearing them can lead to significant and prolonged bleeding. Breaking the skin barrier over a mole creates an easy entry point for bacteria, greatly increasing the risk of a secondary infection. Signs of infection, such as increased redness, swelling, warmth, or the presence of pus, will require medical intervention. Physical trauma can result in permanent scarring, and in some individuals, this can manifest as a raised, firm scar known as a keloid.
Why Scratching Interferes with Medical Diagnosis
A danger of irritating a mole is that it compromises a dermatologist’s ability to accurately assess the lesion. Trauma causes the mole to become inflamed, crusty, or bleed, and these reactions can visually mimic the characteristics of melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer. This trauma-induced appearance may lead to a false-positive assessment, resulting in an unnecessary biopsy procedure. Conversely, injuring a mole can complicate the diagnosis of an underlying cancerous growth. The physical disturbance can obscure the architecture of the mole’s cells, making it difficult for a pathologist to obtain a clean sample for analysis. A delayed or inaccurate diagnosis of melanoma, which is highly treatable when caught early, can have severe health consequences.
Key Signs That a Mole Needs Urgent Attention
Instead of attempting to remove a mole, it is safer to monitor it for changes that signal the need for a professional check-up, using the established “ABCDE” criteria.
- Asymmetry: If you draw a line through the middle of the mole, the two halves would not match in shape. Most benign moles are symmetrical and round or oval.
- Border irregularity: The edges of the mole are ragged, blurred, notched, or scalloped instead of having smooth, well-defined edges.
- Color variation: This indicates the presence of multiple colors or uneven distribution of color within the same mole. Shades of tan, brown, black, white, red, or blue are particularly concerning when they appear together in one lesion.
- Diameter: Melanomas are typically larger than 6 millimeters, which is roughly the size of a standard pencil eraser. Any mole exceeding this size should be professionally evaluated.
- Evolving: This refers to any noticeable change in the mole’s size, shape, color, or height over a period of weeks or months. New symptoms like bleeding, itching, or tenderness are also considered part of the Evolving criterion and require urgent attention.
Medically Approved Methods for Mole Removal
If a mole is bothersome, suspicious, or in an area of constant irritation, a qualified dermatologist can remove it safely and effectively. The appropriate technique depends on the mole’s characteristics and whether it needs to be tested for cancer.
Shave Excision
For raised, non-suspicious lesions, a shave excision is often performed under local anesthesia. This procedure uses a surgical blade to shave the mole flush with the surrounding skin, which typically leaves a flat, pink mark that heals without stitches.
Surgical or Excisional Biopsy
For flat or suspicious moles, a surgical or excisional biopsy is the preferred method. This procedure involves using a scalpel to remove the entire mole along with a small margin of healthy surrounding tissue. The wound is then closed with stitches, ensuring the entire lesion is available for pathological analysis to rule out malignancy. Professional removal ensures the procedure is sterile, minimizes scarring, and allows for a definitive diagnosis.