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subscribe to beauty blog via RSSDr. Murad’s ABCs Of Mole Maintenance
November 4, 2008 4:11 pm
This column features weekly tips and advice from a revolving cast of industry leaders, on hand to discuss your beauty dilemmas, from blemishes to Botox. The following query was culled from a private stock, but we’ll be accepting readers’ questions soon.
Is there a telltale way to check your moles for growth and discoloration? What should I be looking for to determine if any of them have become cancerous?
Take a good look at your body monthly, including your back, and assess your moles using the first five letters for the alphabet as a guide:
A stands for Asymmetry. A benign mole is not asymmetrical. If you draw a line through the middle of your mole, the two sides should match, which means it is symmetrical.
B stands for Border. The borders of an early melanoma tend to be uneven. The edges may be scalloped or notched.
C stands for Color. Most benign moles are one color, often a single shade of brown. Malignant moles have a variety of color and can be shades of brown, tan or black, and can become red, white or blue.
D stands for Diameter. Malignant moles are usually larger in diameter than the size of the eraser on your pencil, but they may be smaller when first detected.
E stands for Evolving. Common, benign moles look the same over time. Be on the alert when a mole starts to evolve or change in any way. This is the most telltale sign of a cancerous mole. If a mole has any change in size, shape, color, or elevation, see a doctor immediately.
One of your best warnings is your gut. Trust your sixth sense. If you feel that a mole doesn’t look right, have a professional examine it.
A board-certified dermatologist with a private practice in El Segundo, California, Dr. Howard Murad is a trained pharmacist and an associate clinical professor of medicine (dermatology) at UCLA. With insights derived from treating a patient base of over 50,000 people, he developed his eponymous line of skincare products and has authored two books on the topics of aging and cellulite, respectively.
Photo: Ron Galella/Getty Images
tags: Dr. Howard Murad, Melanoma, Moles, Skincare
