Skin Moles Types

Skin moles are oval-shaped, dark-colored spots that are usually small in size. Although they can occur anywhere on the body, the most common sites are the face, chest and the abdominal area. It is observed that fair-skinned people are at great risk of developing moles. Usually these moles are harmful and rarely are diagnosed cancerous. In most cases, skin moles that appear on the body are flat and are either black or brown in color. However, they can also be slightly elevated (bumpy or dome-shaped. Also, the size of the mole generally remains constant and does not increase with age. Although a common man knows about moles, surprisingly very few people know about skin moles types.

As aforementioned, light-skinned people are susceptible to getting moles. Small facial moles appearing near the chin area are sometimes referred as a beauty spot. This beauty spot or mark on fair skin is charming and can arrest the attention of the most casual viewer. Overexposure to the sun is one of the factors that increases the risk of mole formation as UV rays are notorious for causing hyperpigmentation. Sun burn or sun damage resulting from too much exposure to UV rays can also lead to red moles on skin. Some common types of skin moles are discussed below:

What are the Different Types of Skin Moles?

The classification of skin moles is based on the time of occurrence. Some people are born with moles while others get it at a later stage in their life. Yet another factor that is used to classify skin mole is its size. The different types of moles are given below:

Congenital Moles
Congenital moles top the list of skin mole types. As the name suggests, these moles are already present in newborns. Sometimes congenital moles are referred as birthmarks. In some cases, newborns get congenital moles, a few days after birth. It is observed that congenital moles in newborns are very uncommon as revealed through various studies. Around 1% of the population suffers from congenital moles. Normally, congenital moles are not flat and usually have bumpy structures. Most importantly, the size of congenital moles is considerably more than that of acquired moles.

Acquired Moles
This is the most common skin moles types that strikes during childhood. It is during childhood that moles begin to form and by the time the child reaches adolescence, the moles appear scattered all over the body. Generally, children do not have more than 10 moles, but recent reports suggest that it is not uncommon for adults to have 20-40 moles on their body. Acquired moles manifest as small spots and the space they occupy is negligible. In any case the size of an acquired mole never exceeds beyond 1/4th of an inch.

Dysplastic Moles
These are also classified as acquired moles but their large irregular shape is what distinguishes them from ordinary moles. Unlike acquired moles that are oval-shaped, dysplastic ones have jagged edges and their color varies from tan, brown to pinkish red. Dysplastic moles are typically marked by irregular, rough texture. Studies show that around 4 in 100 among Caucasian population develop dysplastic moles. With time, they may disappear within the surrounding skin tissue but dysplastic moles that do not go carry the risk of turning cancerous.

Giant Moles
Talking about skin moles types and one simply cannot forget to mentioned about giant moles. As the name implies, these are much bigger than the normally occurring moles and can be either acquired and congenital. Giant moles have a diameter that is more than 10 cm and appear as slightly raised structures. The area occupied by giant moles is significant and is bound to invite unfriendly stares.

Skin moles are also categorized as benign or cancerous. However, not all are cancerous moles, only the large ones may turn malignant over time. Pencil eraser size moles that are asymmetrical in shape, slightly elevated with irregular borders are more susceptible to evolve into skin cancer. Acquired moles are small and rarely become malignant. People with large congenital or dysplastic moles also have a higher probability of falling prey to melanoma - a type of skin cancer.

After knowing skin moles types, it is clear that getting small acquired skin moles is not an issue to be discussed and can be ignored. However, very large or giant moles with no uniformity in shape or color are a cause for concern because they can turn cancerous. So, how to get rid of skin moles that are not safe? Surgery or laser therapy is used for skin mole removal that seem to be dangerous. Surgical method involves using a medical blade to cut the area affected with moles. In some cases, the mole is destroyed by burning it with a cautery tool. Many people also use skin care products like Dermatend creams to eliminate moles naturally.