top of page
Search

Accumulative spots resembling moles

Updated: Jul 9, 2022

In today’s blog, we will be discussing an area of healthcare which has definitely received more attention in recent years, due to more and more people sharing their experiences and thoughts on dealing with specific medical problems or ailments. However, sometimes it can indeed be very difficult to distinguish between a problem which is common and harmless verses one which is uncommon and very harmful, leading us to avoid medical consultations to establish the cause and effect of the body and skin issues we are prone to experiencing. This blog is on moles and how they fare with our possibly more developed understanding of acne, which sometimes we can both underestimate and overestimate with regards to how it fares with other highly concerning skin and body issues and illnesses.


-Key facts about moles:

The darkness of them really does appear to be a massive indicator of its type:


Congenital moles – These are moles that develop at birth, affecting every 1 in 100 babies in the US and which tend to be flat in shape and unlikely to become cancerous as you age but if they are excessively large then it is very important that you keep a close eye on them


Acquired moles – These are the moles which develop as you age and are exacerbated by sun exposure. They are also not guaranteed to develop into melanoma but it is important to keep a close eye on them


Atypical moles/Spitz nevus– These moles possess a greater risk of being cancerous and affect every 1 in 10 adults in the US. They do not necessarily adhere to a particular shade in terms of darkness as an indicator of their risk, however, what is important to pay attention to is their shape in terms of size and location (see more information below), particularly if they start to darken/display a mix of different colours as time passes as well as increase in number


Sun exposure and also other leading factors related to one’s aging skin is what is responsible for their development over time and high levels of prevalence in adult skin.


The moles on your body which are discovered to be precancerous may be an indication of melanoma which is defined as ‘a tumour of melanin-forming cells, especially a malignant tumour associated with skin cancer’, and it is caused the abnormal growth of skin cells in the body. Within this, the changing nature of a mole you discover should be thoroughly checked and regulated as ‘the first sign of melanoma is often a new mole or a change in the appearance of an existing mole’ (NHS).


Whilst upon seeing a mole you might be very alarmed, the majority are harmless and it is very common for people to have them. Nonetheless, it is still very important to keep track of them because some of them can indeed be cancerous (these are regarded as atypical moles and don’t always develop into cancer) – my best piece of advice in relation to this would be to keep an eye on both the size and location of your moles (size pertains to the number, any rapidly growing moles and location pertains to regions where they become significantly itchy and uncomfortable most concerningly as well as a returning mole after a surgical removal), and also keep in contact with your dermatologist and GPs for further assistance and any necessary referrals.


-Explain exactly how an accumulative spot can be defined and why it is different from the specific kind of mole which has a similar name:


The crucial difference between what may more commonly be regarded as a pimple in comparison with a mole is that a pimple is caused by an accumulation of excess dirt and skin cells which can be easily treated, in most cases. Whilst environmental and physical factors will definitely have an impact on your predisposition to experiencing acne that takes a long time to clear, the genetic and physical disposition impacting the production of moles is ultimately of a very different quality.


The biggest difference in your own mind is that you may fixate more on accumulative spots than you would on accumulative or acquired moles, because you will see the spot as being more easily preventative and therefore, treatable. However, in actuality, acquired moles must be regulated just as much as you regulate your spots as it is often very hard to establish the cause and effect of a concerning patch of skin upon site alone (AAD).


You may also be being confused because those who have freckles and paler skin do indeed possess a higher risk of getting skin cancer caused by melanoma and which is worsened by sun exposure and the darkening and change of shape of moles in particular. So yes, in this sense, having a large amount of accumulative freckles can be an indication of needing to be more wary of the risk of melanoma but a spot or group of spots that you can easily define and take a while to leave or go down can be indicative of a different level of attention that needs to be given to its prevalence…


One of the similarities that can be drawn between the treatment of moles and pimples and acne spots is avoiding following homemade remedies frequently advertised on the internet. These typically require the usage of different, typically harmful and ineffective ingredients like ‘garlic, honey, cinnamon, lemon, or toothpaste’ which ‘won’t treat large acne cysts, contrary to what some online sources say’ (Very Well Health). Likewise with treating moles, many of these same ingredients are recommended for lancing and treating them which poses an even higher health risk as you have no way of being able to determine whether the mole is cancerous or not. Additionally, in general, you will not be able to ascertain what the origin of the mole is, especially if you are looking for a fast remedy to speedily remove it.

Due to this, it is always important to track the progress of a perceived and highly problematic area on your skin and body and always consult your dermatologist or GP before proceeding to consider treatments for removal.


-What can you do to keep on top of mole checking:


In general, the areas of a mole that you must pay attention to if you notice one cover the following points: (1) If it is getting bigger, (2) If it is changing shape, (3) If it is changing colour, (4) If it is bleeding or becoming crusty, and (5) If it is itchy or sore

Further, following the well-established and medically backed ABCDE checklist will lead you along the right pathway of being able to distinguish a normal mole from a melanoma, and cover the following areas listed below:


Asymmetrical – These melanoma moles typically have 2 different halves, constructing an irregular shape

Border – Melanomas in this case will have a very ragged and uncertain border

Colours – Melanomas here will likely be a mix of ­2+ colours

Diameter – The majority of melanomas in these instances will be larger than 6mm in diameter

Enlargement/Elevation – The size of the melanoma mole increases over time in comparison to a normal mole which is not unlikely to grow in size


In general, to protect yourself from sun damage and the darkening of any scars or moles, sun screen of a SPF of over 50 is most commonly recommended to give you the maximum amount of protection from the damage that UVB lights can cause to your skin. Furthermore, sun beds are also discouraged because of the UV rays they emit and ways that they can cause a lot of further damage to already existing and highly problematic areas of your skin and body.


Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog, I hope that you found it beneficial and if you did then you can sign up to the mailing list below to be notified every time there is a new blog or event here on Lifestyleaddxct. Additionally, please give us a follow on Instagram and Tiktok on @ldxbootique, to keep up to date with us as much as possible on a weekly basis. All the best


-Sources:




 
 
 

Comments

Post: Blog2_Post

©2021 by lifestyleaddxct. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page