Diagnosis

Mole Testing

Nearly everyone has at least one mole on their body.  While the vast majority of moles are benign, when it comes to your health and skin cancer, it's a good idea to be proactive and keep an eye out for dangerous moles.

At Holland Dermatology, our dermatologist, Dr. Barbara Drozdowski, will examine your mole and determine whether removal or additional testing should be performed, including biopsies.

Certain types of moles are at a much higher risk for malignant melanoma than others.  Only a trained dermatologist will be able to determine whether your mole is at risk to develop into a melanoma; however, there are warning signs that you should look for.

What Should I Look For?

Remember your ABC's, or in the case of moles, your ABCDE's:

  • Asymmetry: One half of the mole does not match the other half
  • Border: The border or edges of the mole are ragged, blurred, or irregular
  • Color: The mole has different colors or it has shades of tan, brown, black, blue, white, or red
  • Diameter: The diameter of the mole is larger than the eraser of a pencil
  • Evolving: The mole appears different from others and/or changing in size, color, shape

If your mole displays any of the characteristics above, you should contact our office immediately and have the doctor examine your mole.

Keep in mind that some melanomas may be smaller or not fit certain characteristics. Additionally, you should always be suspicious of a new mole or a rapidly changing mole.

Start on the path to healthier skin.

To schedule an appointment to have your skin condition examined by our dermatologist, Dr. Barbara Drozdowski, we invite you to call our office.

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