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(In my hometown, they’re marks of a summer well-spent.)
But regardless, it helps to go into your appointment with a little information under your belt.
Holly Rhue/BYRDIE
Meet the Experts
What Causes Moles to Form?
“Sometimes it’s possible for you to get new moles with repeat sun exposure.”
Who Is Most At-Risk For Mole Formation?
Holly Rhue / BYRIDE
Are Moles Cancerous?
The short answer is no, but here’s where the language gets a little bit fuzzy.
These moles are not dangerous, and oftentimes they’re just genetic.
Holly Rhue / BYRDIE
(See more on the qualities of an atypical mole below.)
But everyone is different.
Holly Rhue / BYRDIE
What’s Aftercare Like?
Does Mole-Removal Leave a Scar?
Unfortunately, yes, your skin will form a tinyscarwhere the mole once was.
“Anytime the skin is cut, there remains a scar,” says Markowitz.
She adds that even if you’re under 30, the scarring process doesn’t discriminate.
“Younger skin has less laxity and therefore does not heal well after cutting,” she says.
Birthmark-punch in moles (as in, moles that you’re born with), can’t be prevented.
2019;80(2):365-377. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2018.07.072
American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Atypical moles.
2021;10:e70385.
doi:10.7554/eLife.70385
National Cancer Institute.Common moles, dysplastic nevi, and risk of melanoma.
Updated April 27, 2018.
Updated February 2, 2021.
2013;6(1):27-29.
Skin Cancer Foundation.Atypical moles & your skin.
Updated January, 2021.
2020;192(50):E1802-E1808.
