Some moles are present at birth (congenital) while most come up later (acquired). Most people have at least one acquired mole while many have several. Skin cancers can start in both normal skin or in pre-existing moles. The number of people who develop skin cancer each year is increasing, possibly because of increased sun exposure.

You are advised to seek medical advice if you have any skin lesions which concern you. Most will turn out to be benign, with only a minority of skin lesions requiring removal.

The most characteristic features of skin cancer are:

• recent change in size (getting bigger)
• change in shape (becoming asymmetrical with an irregular ragged edge)
• change in colour (uneven colour with different shades)

Suggestive symptoms include itching, bleeding, oozing or crusting up.

If you have a large number of moles, you should examine your skin monthly for moles that are changing in the ways listed above. Patients with moles that cannot be easily seen eg. Scalp, anogenital area and back need to be examined every 3 months, preferably by the same person for changes in existing moles or for the development of new suspicious looking ones.

At Dermaesthetix we can assess your moles using dermoscopy, and advise accordingly. We will take digital photos, and monitor lesions that cannot be easily seen (eg back, scalp, anogenital area). We will refer all suspicious lesions to a private dermatologist.