Atypical moles and healthy anxiety

[ErinKC]

I have so many moles an several different types (meaning, some that are light brown, perfectly round, small, some that are dark and flat, some that are bumpy and multicolored, some that are asymmetrical and flat, asymmetrical and lumpy, etc...)

The ABCD guide is just that - a guide. It's not a perfect diagnostic tool, so there are plenty of times that totally benign moles may fit one or more of the criteria.

My dermatologist once told me that melanoma is so rare that one of the best ways to rule it out is to find even one other mole on your body that looks similar. It's so rare to have melanoma that it's virtually unheard of to have two different instances of it on your body at the same time. So if I ever get nervous about a weird looking mole, I usually spend a few minutes looking and can find another one that looks similar.

[BrightPhoenix]

I had one mole-like thinking looked at by my dermatologist and he wasn't worried - didn't get it biopsied and he pointed out that it's most likely a skin pore that got clogged because hair was growing out of it.

I trust this dermatologist because he's very patient, confident, kind, and highly recommended by everyone.

It's good that you were vigilant about it though. As your derm pointed out, if you catch it early it's very treatable.

Edit: Oh and if you're a beachgoer or outside a lot (I'm not), wear sunscreen!

[Adriatico]

I have so many moles an several different types (meaning, some that are light brown, perfectly round, small, some that are dark and flat, some that are bumpy and multicolored, some that are asymmetrical and flat, asymmetrical and lumpy, etc...)

The ABCD guide is just that - a guide. It's not a perfect diagnostic tool, so there are plenty of times that totally benign moles may fit one or more of the criteria.

My dermatologist once told me that melanoma is so rare that one of the best ways to rule it out is to find even one other mole on your body that looks similar. It's so rare to have melanoma that it's virtually unheard of to have two different instances of it on your body at the same time. So if I ever get nervous about a weird looking mole, I usually spend a few minutes looking and can find another one that looks similar.

I have an average number of moles - only about 20 larger than 1 mm and most are 3 mm or smaller, so for me it's hard to find 2 moles which look similar to one another. I had only 2 larger than 5 mm and one was removed.

---------- Post added at 23:56 ---------- Previous post was at 23:53 ----------

I had one mole-like thinking looked at by my dermatologist and he wasn't worried - didn't get it biopsied and he pointed out that it's most likely a skin pore that got clogged because hair was growing out of it.

I trust this dermatologist because he's very patient, confident, kind, and highly recommended by everyone.

It's good that you were vigilant about it though. As your derm pointed out, if you catch it early it's very treatable.

Edit: Oh and if you're a beachgoer or outside a lot (I'm not), wear sunscreen!

I live on the Mediterranean which is really sunny. As a kid I spent a lot of time under the sun. I used sun sunscreen when I was a child, however not so any more when I grew up. Most of the time I didn't go out before 4pm though and I still don't.

[ErinKC]

I have an average number of moles - only about 20 larger than 1 mm and most are 3 mm or smaller, so for me it's hard to find 2 moles which look similar to one another. I had only 2 larger than 5 mm and one was removed.

Then you're even less likely to get melanoma! Moles are a tough one because it's impossible not to notice them. But with a negative biopsy I'd not be worried anymore. Every now and then I notice something that worries me (like once a year or less) so I don't even hesitate to make an appointment and check it out. It sounds like that's what you did and you got it handled.

[Doug90]

I have quite a few "unusual" or atypical moles but what my derm told me was "If you have alot of unusual moles, then they aren't unusual at all" or something to that effect, basically what he was saying was its relative to the person whether or not a mole is unusual.

If someone has normally spotless skin, then any kind of moles are unusual. But if a person has lots of moles then a mole would really have to look distinct to be unusual.