Finally got in to see the dermatologist today, and it turns out that the Mole of Concern is called a nevi, which is a benign raised mole that very very rarely ever turns cancerous. Good news for a Shorty. "I could take it off you," he said, "but it would leave a scar, and if we cut down deep enough to remove the hair follicles you'd need stitches."
"Which would work if I were a bouncer," I replied. "Thanks, but I'll keep it." However, a nice badass-looking scar might help in dealing with some contractors. It's hard to "little lady" someone who looks like she chews broken glass and spits WD-40.
In the interest of paying it forward, allow me to drop some knowledge on y'all, courtesy of the American Cancer Society pamphlet the dermatologist gave me.
These are the signs of a mole that's bad news: if the mole's shape is asymmetrical, the border is irregular, the color is inconsistent through it, or it is larger that 6mm (about a pencil eraser on the end of a pencil) in diameter. My Mole In Question was raised but dome-shaped and circular in shape. It was also "skin colored," or a light brown, not super-dark or black. If my Mole In Question were to change color or to develop dark spots inside it, I should return for a recheck.
Consider yourselves educated. And when in doubt, get it checked. My $30 copay is a hell of a lot cheaper than lots of worry, or worse, surgery and treatments for melanoma.
6 comments:
Yea!
I go in to the dermatologist next week for my mole. My mole is literally on the tip of my nose. MY NOSE. ARGH. It looks like I have a big brown booger there.
And it will require stiches, he told me that two years ago when he lied to me and said it would stop growing.
ha. bastard. Now, I'm sure I'll loose half my nose to get rid of it.
really glad yours is OK. Keep up the inspections!
I'm glad you're okay. :)
Glad to hear that you are not in any danger.
Hooray for benign moles!
My derma said yesterday that the one on my right shoulder is a sort of wart, and not at all cancerous. He said he could freeze it off, which I might have done next time.
question i have a few raised moles on my skin that have been there for years but never checked. .although now some of them are begining to get darker coloring in them.. i have a few flat ones that are also changing colors.. is this a terribly bad thing??
Anon: most moles are nothing to worry about, but it can be of concern as they change colors. It's best to include a full-body skin/mole check as part of your yearly physical with your doctor. I'd schedule one soon and mention your concerns. Then, your doc can refer you to a dermatologist who can make the final call on okay, not okay, needs a biopsy, etc. Good luck.
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