Moles

     Moles cause a lot of concern. Moles in children cause much less problem than in adults, but parents still need to know what to watch for when their child develops a mole. There are three main characteristics to observe in a mole. First, color. Whether it is tan, brown or black, an innocent mole is usually all the same color. If a mole has red, brown, black, blue - different colored areas on the same mole, it needs to be checked. Next, look at the boarder. An innocent mole usually has a sharp, distinct boarder separating it from the skin. Bad moles have indistinct boarders that sometime seem to fade into the surrounding skin. Finally, check surface. Whether a mole is raised or flat, smooth-surfaced or bumpy, the innocent moles will have a uniform surface. If some of the mole is flat and some is raised or irregular, the mole needs to be checked.

     Other moles that are worrisome are moles that are growing or changing rapidly and moles that are on areas of the body that cause the mole to be repeatedly rubbed and irritated. There is also a lesion on the skin that is called a mole but it is not. This is a reddish, raised lesion that appears and grows rapidly and bleeds profusely when it is irritated.  This is called a pyogenic granuloma and needs to be removed because it will continue to bleed whenever it is touched. Finally, children frequently get little, ivory-colored masses anywhere on their bodies. These little “moles” have a small amount of white mucous-like material in them and they have a little depression in the center of them that looks like a tiny belly button. These are molluscum contagiosum and are caused by a virus. There are many treatments recommended for molluscum, but the best advice I can give parents is to ignore them. The more doctors try to treat molluscum, the more risk for scars and infection. After weeks, they go away by themselves and do not need any treatment.