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Mole removal: what you need to know? Video
Common moles are clumps of pigment cells that can appear on any part of the body or mucous membranes. In most cases, they do not cause any problems, but still they are not as harmless as they seem at first glance.
What are moles and how are they dangerous?
Moles or birthmarks, also called nevi, are benign skin lesions. Most often, they are perceived as nothing more than an aesthetic external flaw. However, under the influence of certain conditions – constant friction with clothing, injury, prolonged exposure to sunlight – moles can degenerate into melanoma – a malignant tumor. This disease is especially dangerous with the early and rapid formation of metastases, including distant ones: cancer cells penetrate deep into the skin and subcutaneous tissue and are carried throughout the body with the flow of blood and lymph.
Complete removal of moles is the only way to treat them and the best prevention of degeneration into melanoma.
The following symptoms indicate that the mole needs to be removed:
- rapid growth of a nevus or any change in its size at all
- active appearance of new moles and a sharp increase in their number on the body
- change in the shape or color of the mole
- the appearance of soreness and bleeding in the area of education
Is it possible to remove moles on your own
In no case should you try to remove moles yourself at home. This procedure is carried out in medical institutions and is necessarily accompanied by a histological examination, which makes it possible to determine the benign or malignant nature of the formation, as well as, in the case of the second, the likelihood of relapse. To remove birthmarks, the laser method, electrocoagulation, surgical excision and other methods are used, selected by the doctor individually.
This takes into account the benignity or malignancy of the mole, its shape and appearance, depth, localization on the body.
Relatively painless and safe, as well as the most effective method, laser removal of moles is considered. In addition, in this case, practically no traces remain.
What precautions should be taken with regard to moles before and after their removal?
After the procedure, doctors often recommend treating this area of the skin with antiseptic agents in the first days. Places of formations must be protected from the damaging effects of the sun, cosmetics and other chemicals, as well as from mechanical damage.
These precautions will not be superfluous in relation to any moles in general.