flat mole got a lot lighter -worried

[robelros]

hi - i am a bit worried about a mole i have had for a very very long time that i actually kind of forgot about until recently. it used to be visible in pictures, so medium brown, and kind of oval shaped but i think grew a little bit. now it is very very very faint to the point that i can barely see it. it is completely flat. has anyone ever had a mole fade like that? my biggest worry is that it became lighter many years ago, probably 5 years ago, and i have heard that moles and melanoma can regress but if the melanoma cells got into your body before the regression, they spread and you're in trouble. oh and i know it's not a halo nevus (i've done my research) - there is no white around it at all, except for a little bit of pigmentation you wouldn't know anything was ever there. i'm panicking. thanks!

[Gary A]

As a rule, any changes to an existing mole should be evaluated by a doctor. However, that your mole was darker and has now become lighter doesn't sound like the typical evolution of something like melenoma. Melenoma would typically become darker, become raised and grow larger. It would be likely to have irregular borders and start to crust or bleed. Some moles simply change over time for no apparent reason.

As I said it's worth getting checked simply because there has been a change, but it doesn't sound to be anything sinister.

[venusbluejeans]

is it where the sun catches it? I have moles that have 'faded' in the sunshine..... but if you are worried then get it checked out by a doctor.

[robelros]

thank you for your responses! i actually have an appointment on friday morning but wanted to try and ease my worrying till then (as if). it is on my wrist so yes, i guess the sun would touch it. so you've had moles fade before? have you talked to a doctor about them?

[wooodyp]

Hi

My back had a lot of moles on it when I was a kid. My mom was worried about it, so took me to the doctor. He told her not to worry about it, that most of them would disappear as I age. He was right. Not all of them but I would say 80% disappeared. That being said, my mother had a lot of cancerous spots taken off. So I have to worry about that. But so far I have not had any problems with cancer.

[robelros]

Thanks woooody, I appreciate the response! May I ask how old you are? I know they can fade with age but I always was of the belief that would be older, I am on 31..... And it is only one that has faded which has me more concerned. If it were a bunch I think I would not feel as scared!

[wooodyp]

Hi robelros

I turned 60 and they have slowly disappeared in that time. I have 30 years on you. So if I'm still around when you turn 60, let me know how they are doing.