Worried about a mole again...

[KayeS]

Hi guys, I'm going to the doctor about this tomorrow but I thought I'd post here as I am feeling incredibly anxious.

I have a small mole on my nose, it's literally 1.5mm long/wide etc... and has always been slightly raised also.

Now my nose is an area that has been sunburnt a few times like most people, most recently a few months ago where I had a day where I was out in the sun ALL DAY for an event, and got quite badly sunburnt. I feel like since then, this mole has not only been feeling strange, as in tingling, but I feel like it's also grown very slightly in side and become more raised....

Now, I'll be honest, I've never really paid this mole much attention in the past. In fact over the last month is the closest I've ever really examined it so MAYBE a part of this is the fact that I am checking it constantly and when I look in the mirror, it's now the focal point of where I'm looking, but I am also quite certain it's grown a bit as comparing it to pictures of me a few months ago, I am quite sure it was smaller/less pronounced.

I am really worried if I'm being honest guys. I've been touching it quite a lot lately, like feeling it... can that irritate a mole? I mean I haven't been picking at it or anything like that but I've been feeling it multiple times a day.... I feel quite sick at the moment.

[tmckenzie-orr]

ITS a pointless trip to doctors 1.5m is too small to even consider worrying about i bet its all 1 colour also, and yes of corse touching anything over and over checking to see if its raised etc will make it irate and sore , its fine i bet you, stop touching stop obsessing i too suffer from mole worry but lately been good i think u can really tell when a mole is bad by looking if its a mixture of colours etc or if its odd looking like really odd, look at a free dermatology course i done a virtual one online and its made me less worried about moles as sorta can tell what ur looking for

[KayeS]

I know 1.5mm seems quite small but it's not as small as you might imagine. It's closer to 2mm to be honest (I know that's still small) but 2mm by 2mm isn't actually TINY... and it's more the fact that I'm fairly certain it's become larger and more raised over the last 2 months.

[tmckenzie-orr]

well when you touch them it does get more and more rasied and maybe bigger but still 2mm by 2mm is small , so small, but u can get it checked if it will help ur anxiety but ur better of understandin moles urself

[KayeS]

So touching an already slightly raised mole can make it a bit more raised through irritating it? I know this sounds like an obvious thing but I tend not to look things up on Google etc as it just makes things worse for me...

I just think the combination of me getting badly sunburnt in that area a couple of months ago combined with the fact it appears to have changed warrants at least a look by a doctor...

[.Poppy.]

I don't think it's bad to get it checked by a doctor. Just be sure to mention your concerns with the mole when you're there -- make a list if you have to -- and resolve to take his word on it. Then do whatever you can to stop obsessing over it.

[tmckenzie-orr]

kayes i know exactly how scary it is worrying about moles, i had such a bad patch last month its horrible just try to take a step back, why dont u post a pic and we can all have a look at it u can use imageshare and post it on here then we can tell u its up to u just a idea i done it with my tonsil last week lol

[KayeS]

I'd rather not post a pic to be honest...

Like I said, I've actually become quite good at rationalising a lot of my health anxiety thoughts however this one.... The area has been recently sunburnt, the mole is tingling/itching, and I feel like it's become more raised and overall larger than it used to be.... it's worrying me a lot. But again I have been touching it constantly throughout the day so I don't know how much of it being irritated is down to that.

[Sam100322]

Stop poking and prodding it it'll irritate it if your worried see a doctor

[KayeS]

As I said earlier in the thread, I am seeing a doctor about it tomorrow to get a professional opinion.

Genuine question to anybody, and I know it seems like I'm repeating myself but in the meantime before I see the doctor tomorrow I'm grasping at any reassurance I can get... has anyone irritated a mole before just by touching it? I'm not scratching it at all or applying extreme pressure, just feeling it with my finger. Doing that can irritate it and make it look angrier? I actually just totally caved and Googled pictures of melanoma, which believe it or not reassured me somewhat as mine looks nothing like those pictures.... However it's definitely changed size recently :/

[confusedandalone67]

I've had concerns about moles over the years. I had quite a big one on my foot as a teenager that was white and raised in the middle and brown around the edges (it sounds so gross to describe!) I remember also doing the googling and being quite worried over it.

I did go to the doctor about it and I got it removed. It was benign.

Before, I do remember being EXTRA conscious of it and "feeling" it because I was aware of it there. I think your mind can make you jump to the worst case scenario about something like this straight away based on google pictures and medical sites. Your view of something becomes distorted when you obsess over it, I think.

I think going to the doctor is a good idea as it will put your mind at ease and they will know whether anything needs to be done. Don't jump to conclusions! Chat with the doc and don't stress x

[KayeS]

Well I went to the doctor today who was actually very patient with me. She had a good look under a light and said it doesn't have any of the telltale signs of it being anything sinister. She said it has a regular border, only a couple of different shades which is normal, and no blood vessels leading into it, just small ones around it which is normal on the nose. Just said that as I think it's changed (which can happen), to keep an eye on it and come back if it changes further.... I feel reassured but still a little concerned as it has definitely changed but I'm not going to stress about it or touch it. Appreciate the replies to this thread guys.

[tmckenzie-orr]

thats good news then, dont need to worry, just make sure dont touch and bet it dont change, :)

[KayeS]

I definitely feel reassured however I'm still worried if I'm honest as although she said that in her opinion it looks fine, she acknowledged that I think it has grown in the last month or so and said to keep an eye on it and if it changes any more to come back in. So I'm still pretty focused on it but at the same time I'm determined to not panic and try not to obsess.

---------- Post added 04-08-15 at 00:21 ---------- Previous post was 03-08-15 at 22:19 ----------

Right so I'm getting ready for bed just now, and I'm about to wash my face and I had a look at the mole and noticed that there was basically what looked like a tiny bit of pus (sorry for the detail) poking out of it. Basically like a tiny blackhead that looked like it was coming out. I have a lot of blackheads on my nose (I've tried loads of things to get rid of them, nose strips etc lol), so I got some tweezers and very carefully pulled it out and it came out very easily and was basically what looked like a tiny blackhead (although it was completely white), as if you've just used a nose strip, like one of the little individual things that comes out when you pull it off... anyway this has got me slightly panicked but I'm trying to rationalise... maybe the reason it's looked larger lately and has been itching is because there was a blackhead/spot type thing there that has now come out? But then the rest of my nose has loads of these and never feels itchy or anything... and then I'm thinking what if this carries on, what if every day more like this comes out of it.... surely then that means somethings up.... ahhh ffs....

[tmckenzie-orr]

Just say to yourself you won't touch or even look at it for 1 week, and ur be able to tell if it's changed u need to listen to doctor they are skilled and know what skin cancer looks like if she was really worried she wid refer u even if a tiny risk ,

[ricardo]

Your post reminds me of someone saying don't picture a pink elephant in your mind, and then for the rest of the day ever so often you keep seeing the image.

You have been to the doctor, had it examined and most probably you have played around with the mole and now it has pus coming out.Clean it up, disinfect it and forget about it, or you will drive yourself up the pole.:)

[wubu]

It's always worth going to see the doc for peace of mind if nothing else with these things.

I share your anxiety as I had a mole off last year and got obsessed with it. The thing is it was pretty much a perfect round shape but me being me noticed tiny details around the boarder and checked it every 5 minutes. Then things were worse when they took it off as I waited in limbo for 2/3 weeks for results! It was just a mole!

I'd always say that no matter how silly you think it is, get moles checked it your worried.