NEVI or NEVUS
Moles
Also called: Nevus
Moles are growths on the skin. They are common usually harmless skin lesions. They are correctly called melanocytic nevi as they are due to a proliferation of the pigment cells, melanocytes.They occur when cells in the skin, called melanocytes, develop in a group with tissue adjoining them. Moles are very widespread. Most people have anywhere between 10 and 40 moles. An individual may grow new moles as time passes and we become older, typically until age 40 or so. Early nevus cells form nests on the junction between the epidermis (outer layer of the skin) and the dermis (inner layer) known as junctional nevi.
Moles are generally brown, pink or tan. They are either flat or raised. They are customarily round or oval and no bigger than a pencil eraser. Non-pigmented dermal nevi may also be called cellular nevi. Heavily pigmented dermal nevi appear blue.
Approximately one out of every ten people has no less than one unusual (or atypical) mole that looks dissimilar from a normal mole. The medical term for these abnormal moles is dysplastic nevi. The chance of these types of moles developing into melanoma, are greater. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer. You should never diagnose your own moles due to this potential for cancer. Have a healthcare professional check your moles if they look atypical (also called Clark's nevi), grow larger, change in color or outline. Basically if you notice changes in your mole seek professional help immediately.
Moles may darken following sun exposure or during pregnancy. During adulthood they often lose their pigmentation, and they may even disappear in old age.
A few invasive types of mole removal are:
Shave biopsy
Your doctor can treat a protruding mole using a procedure called a shave biopsy. After numbing the skin with local anesthetic the doctor removes the projecting part of the mole with a scalpel or by electro surgery (e.g. Surgitron method). The wound heals to leave a flat white mark, (scar) but sometimes the color remains the same as the original mole. As this procedure only removes the mole at the surface NoNevus gets to the root of the mole and removes it completely.
Excision biopsy
This procedure is necessary if the mole is a flat one or melanoma is suspected. The full thickness of the skin is removed and the wound is sutured (stitched). The specimen should always be sent to the laboratory for pathological examination. The resulting scar may be just a thin line, but is sometimes more noticeable than the mole was.
You may have coarse hair that sometimes grows in a mole; this can be removed by shaving. If you chose to pluck be aware that this may cause inflammation resulting in a painful lump under the mole. The hair can only be removed permanently by electrolysis or excision of the whole mole.
Keep in mind that if your moles are non cancerous than our NoNevus mole removal system will remove them for you without painful procedures and will even take away those coarse hairs you sometimes find in them.
