why else would a mole itch

[mrs way to worried]

i have a mole near my shoulder blade and all this area seems to itch alot around the mole , it looks pretty normal the doc said its hairy when he looked at it with a close up thingy , i dont get y it would itch if its not cancer its slightly raised but only slight sometimes i get like aching pains from it , i have full bloods done every 6 months and are always normal if i had cancer would it have shown up in them

[Worried_Male]

You're mind is playing tricks on you. Exact same thing happened to me. When you sit there worrying about a mole, poking and prodding it all the time, your mind plays tricks on you, makes it tingle, itch etc. It's because it's always on the back of your mind. Just don't give it any attention, it's just a mole no different to any other.

From what you told me, i can assure 1000% it's not cancer.

[eight days a week]

What you describe is not (I believe - I have no medical training, just from what I've read) a sign of cancer.

I guess it could be the hairs trying to come through? I sometimes get really itchy spots on my legs, and when I scratch the top off slightly (obviously never do this with moles!) a few days later a short hair has popped through, and it no longer itches :)

If so, there's not much you can do about it (except for having the mole removed, which I doubt you'd get on the NHS) and I completely agree that by focusing on it it's probably very much more noticeable for you.

[southey]

I had a mole removed about 15 years ago that was on my chin. Nothing wrong with it just it made shaving difficult and would sometimes get irritated.

It cost about £500-1000, I can't really remember? I had to go private after being forwarded by my GP as it was a cosmetic procedure.

Steve.

[Coconut]

Thank you so much for posting this thread! My mole has been itching all day and i was so worried too!! Glad someone else has the same problem its made me feel better with the advice given!

[mrs way to worried]

no problem , mine seems to itch alot recently , my friend was sat itching a mole and picking it the other day i was watching her in disbelief that it wasnt worrying her or didnt seem to think the worst of it strange how we think so differently to people without health anxiety x

[Jonesle]

I know this post is years old.... If anybody has read any of my recent posts it's clear I'm anxious about my mole. I've been poking and prodding and scraping it and today it's like I can FEEL it there. Itchy, aching in the general area. I'm thinking it must be my mind playing tricks on me. I've currently covered it with a plaster so I can't see the damned thing.

[harasgenster]

I know this post is years old.... If anybody has read any of my recent posts it's clear I'm anxious about my mole. I've been poking and prodding and scraping it and today it's like I can FEEL it there. Itchy, aching in the general area. I'm thinking it must be my mind playing tricks on me. I've currently covered it with a plaster so I can't see the damned thing.

Ok, I know this is going to sound counterintuitive, but take the plaster off and stare at it.

By putting a plaster on, you're using the coping mechanism 'avoidance'. It's exactly the same as an agoraphobic going home because they're panicking outside. What you're doing is telling yourself you have to hide the mole because if you look at the mole you'll worry - and that's the same as telling yourself 'the mole is something to worry about'. You're just repeating the same message to yourself over and over again.

You know the mole is nothing to worry about. Deep inside, you know it. I had a raised mole for years that was itchy and sore. It's still there but it rarely itches nowadays. Believe me when I say that I never once thought about cancer. Those without health anxiety wouldn't think that. Look at the mole, recognise that you're anxious and then just sit with the anxiety. Don't try to stop yourself from feeling anxious. Just notice you're anxious and know that anxiety is an emotion and like all emotions it will pass, so long as you let it play itself out.

Taking the above advice on board is what has changed my life, so I highly recommend it :D