Types Of Moles

There are different types of moles, and they all vary in color, size, and shapes. However, the average mole is pain free, brown, small, and usually not dangerous. A lot of people have moles on their bodies and they are not so harmful to require removal unless they cause irritation when rubbed against the cloth or due to cosmetic reasons. However, all types of moles are not the same. Thus, an examination of the different types of moles would help us recognize their differences.

Junctional Naevi

This type of mole is the most common of all types on the body. They are circular, flat, and relatively small. Though, they can be seen on the body of an individual at birth, they appear mostly during the individual’s growth and maturation. Sometimes they spread themselves evenly throughout the body, and seem to appear more on lighter skins than darker skins.

Dermal Naevi

Dermal Naevi is the second most common types of moles on the body. They have bumps and seem to appear more elevated than the junctional Naevi, and sometimes there can be some tiny strands of hairs on them. They are lighter and can even share almost the same color of their host skin. They can be easily spotted an often appear close to other types of moles. They are found on any part of the body, including the face. Their presence on the face makes them targets for removal mainly for cosmetic reasons.

Halo Naevi

These moles usually have white pigments around them. Though it is not yet clear why they often appear so, researchers have suggested that the it is due to the attack of the white blood cells against them. This type of mole is often associated with people with the vitiligo pigmentation problem. The appearance of this type of mole cover a larger area of the skin compared to other types of moles. They are more visible, which is why they are often removed.

Atypical Nevus or Clark’s Nevus

This is an abnormal type of mole, which displays a pre-malignant characteristic. But this does not necessarily entails that an individual with this kind of mole is affected by cancer. Though cancer is associated with skin pigmentation, the individual with this type of mole does not have cancer in most cases. However, comparing this type of mole with the others, there is a higher possibility of alteration of the mole into malignant melanomas.

When this type of mole is initially detected, the affected person should try and see a dermatologist in order to know how to effectively monitor it. The dermatologist would normally take pictures of the mole for comparison and followup. Though immediate removal of the mole is not really necessary, there are situations that might require its removal as prevention is always better then cure.

Apart from the appearance of these moles on the skin, regular exposure to sun rays is equally a contributing factor to the development of skin cancer. Therefore it is advised to always avoid exposing the skin to the sun, and tanning beds should equally be avoided.