Re: New Mole Appearance
I'll give you a "copy and paste" advice I have recently been giving other posters regarding moles and melanoma. I'm using this response as I feel it is simple to follow, and from a doctor who is very well respected in the UK Dermoscopy "sphere".
I "follow" a great mole-related blog, written by Dr Stephen Hayes in the south of England. He has case reports and studies on his website, which explain rather well the principles you should apply to your moles when examining them.
For convenience, I'll post them here: (He has tweaked the ABCDE rule slightly) (this is for the benefit of anyone reading who wants to know how to check their moles)
A: Asymmetry - No mole will be completely symmetrical, but as long as you can draw a line through it and the symmetry is relatively good, it's OK. This can be at any point - e.g. from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock, 10 o'clock to 4 o'clock etc. It doesn't have to be from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock
B: Border - the border should be clear, not indistinct
C: Colour - Brown or two shades of brown is alright (e.g. darker brown in the centre, with lighter brown round the sides). What is not okay is brown and black, brown and red or variations thereof. Three colours is NOT acceptable. In simple terms, your mole should be ONE colour.
D: Diameter - Although many benign moles can be several centimetres, and many melanomas under 5mm, if the size is changing or spreading, pay attention
E: Erythema: Dr Hayes says that "the more melanomas I see, the more I have become concerned about red in moles". Red/pink is never an acceptable colour in a mole. He has said moles with red must get urgent attention.
And don't forget the "ugly duckling" rule. The mole which looks significantly different from the rest of your moles deserves your doctor or dermatologist's attention. NOTE: SIGNIFICANTLY different - there is nothing else like it ANYWHERE else on your body
If your mole passes that simple examination above, you can rest assured.
__________________
Healthcare Professional with Health Anxiety
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle