How Does a Dermatologist Check for Melanoma?
Here’s how to make sure a dermatologist is doing everything possible to check your skin and moles for signs of melanoma. […]
Does a Painful Mole Mean Melanoma and Should a Doctor See It?
Melanoma can cause a mole to hurt in a way that can be described as pain. However, other factors can also cause pain to come from a mole. So how can you tell if the [...]
Benign Causes of Itching Moles Other than Melanoma
There’s a surprising number of benign reasons for a mole to begin itching. Though melanoma indeed can cause a mole to be itchy, this symptom often has a cause other than cancer. [...]
Can Normal Mole Hurt if Irritated? Or Does Hurting Mean Cancer?
You irritated a mole, perhaps with clothing or scratching over it without realizing it, and it now hurts; does this mean cancer even though it looks normal? Common moles can get irritated in everyday life. [...]
How to Stop Worrying About Your Moles
Anxiety over your moles can get bad enough to disrupt productivity at work, ruin social events & cause insomnia. However, you can overcome this nagging problem. […]
Might a Bluish Black Freckle Be Melanoma?
Does that bluish black freckle (or what IS it?!) have you panicking it might be melanoma? “The bluish color in many pigmented lesions represents pigment that is deeper in the dermis than the pigment that [...]
Tiny Moles Growing in a Cluster: Could this Mean Melanoma?
Have you discovered tiny moles growing in a cluster or groups on your skin and are fearing this could be a sign of melanoma? First off, one thing you need to make sure of is [...]
Can Moles Grow from Scabs?
Whether or not moles can grow from a scab is a popular question. And it has a definitive answer. Composition of a scab vs. composition of a mole -- do you know the difference? A [...]
Loosened Mole Looks Like It Can Be Flicked Off
Is a loosened mole that looks like it can be flicked off melanoma or benign? “This could be a true ‘mole,’ which means it is made of melanocytes, or it could be a vascular growth [...]
Two Ways Melanoma Can Become Deadly
If melanoma is caught early enough, it’s highly curable, but many people let it slip by, and this is how this deadly skin cancer can get past even health-conscious people. Two ways that this can [...]
Are Flat Moles Safer than Raised or Equally Prone to Melanoma?
Have you noticed that some of your moles are raised, that is, clearly higher than the surface of the skin around them? This doesn't refer to moles that used to be flat and are now [...]
How Common Are Red Moles?
Here is information about red melanomas vs. benign red moles in terms of physical appearance. “Benign moles can appear reddish in part due to sunburn or irritation,” says Dr. Michael Shapiro, MD, Medical Director and [...]
How Common Are Grey Moles?
You may have read that moles can be grey in color, but how normal or common is this? “The most common moles usually have an even pink, tan or brown color,” says Dr. Michael Shapiro, [...]
Is Your Mole Larger, More Irregular, Multi-Colored?
A dermatologist provides the information you really need to know about moles that grow larger, develop an irregular shape and become multi-colored. Certainly, you may already know that suspicious signs of melanoma are changes in [...]
Mole with New Black Specks May Not Be Melanoma
Here’s a benign explanation for why you see new black spots in your mole that weren’t there before. Before I give this explanation, you should know that the new appearance of black in a pre-existing [...]
Small Moles Growing Together: Melanoma or Benign?
Here’s what a dermatologist says about small moles growing together and the possibility of melanoma. “Sometimes a normal existing mole (round and regular in shape) may seem to morph into a larger, irregular lesion,” says [...]
What Does a Tiny Dark Spot in a Mole Mean?
Can a small dark spot inside a mole possibly mean melanoma? Unfortunately, the answer is YES -- it can be an early sign of this deadly skin cancer that can sneak up on people. “Any [...]
Can Small, Tiny Moles Turn Into Melanoma?
Can melanoma come from small, tiny moles? Do you believe a mole can never turn into melanoma as long as it’s small or tiny? If, during your monthly skin exams for cancer, you’ve decided to skip past [...]
Can You Pick Off Melanoma, How Much & Will it Spread
The questions should be how much melanoma can you pick off, and will picking at a melanoma make it spread? This deadliest of skin cancers doesn't just grow on the skin surface, but below it. "It is [...]
How to Lessen Anxiety over Moles and Melanoma
Are you so afraid of your moles that you no longer can look at them, for fear of what you might see? Serial Digital Dermoscopy This wonder of technology will give you great peace of [...]
Mole with White Spot in Center
Find out what it could mean if a mole has a white spot in it. I have a mole that has a white (or actually, flesh or cream colored; it’s hard to tell) spot kind [...]
How Common Is Melanoma Black; Can a Normal Mole Be Black?
A dermatologist discusses how often a mole with melanoma is a black color. I wondered how common is it that a melanoma lesion is black — not dark brown, but true black. And can a [...]
Does a Blue Mole Mean Possible Melanoma?
A dermatologist weighs in about what a blue mole most likely means and if this can signal melanoma. “Yes, some moles will appear blue in a clinical exam and they are called blue nevus moles,” [...]
How to Check if Your Moles Are Getting Bigger
Here is a really simple way to tell if one of your moles is getting bigger -- even a very tiny dot of a mole. No apps required! You need only two simple items. The [...]
Can a Changing Mole Be Benign or Is It Always Melanoma?
We’ve been scared by the media about changes in moles, and skin cancer, a la, “If you notice any changes in a mole, see a doctor immediately, as this could mean skin cancer.” And you [...]
Are Most Funny Looking Moles Normal & Benign?
A dermatologist speaks about strange or weird looking moles. Have you discovered a funny looking mole on your body and wonder if it’s melanoma? The aggravating thing about finding a strange looking spot is when [...]
What Does Precancerous or Atypical Mole Mean?
Atypical Mole Have you been told you have a precancerous or atypical mole? Perhaps you were too afraid to ask your physician to explain in more detail what a precancerous or atypical mole [...]
Are Purple Moles Normal or Possible Cancer?
Do you have a purple mole? If so, are you worried that your mole has cancer because it's purple? "The color of a mole may vary within normal ranges, and purple color may not necessarily [...]
Fading Moles: Melanoma, or Could this Be Something Else Besides Skin Cancer?
Is a fading mole, one that's getting lighter, worrying you about melanoma? Have you noticed a mole on your body has been fading or getting lighter? You've heard that melanoma skin cancer that develops in a [...]
Melanoma Skin Cancer: When Changing Moles Are Benign
Melanoma: What can cause a mole to change besides skin cancer? We've been alarmed by the media when it comes to changing moles -- to See your doctor immediately if you have a changing mole to [...]
When Brown Mole Turns Red: Melanoma or Nothing to Worry About?
Does a brown mole changing to red necessarily mean melanoma? How many times have you read that when a mole changes color, this can be a sign of melanoma and to immediately see a doctor? [...]