SKIN THERAPY - MOLES

Almost everyone has moles. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says the average is between 20 and 40 moles by the time we reach adulthood. Sometimes moles are referred to as beauty marks. Most moles are benign but some can turn cancerous so people should be aware of changes in their moles or any new moles.

Most moles appear as a dark brown spot. Some are raised and some have hair on them. There are many types of moles. Most will never be a problem but they also can turn into skin cancer and because of that it's important to remember the ABC's of moles as warning signs. They are:

If you have a mole that falls into any of those categories you should discuss it with your doctor.

Moles tend to darken with sun exposure. Sun also tends to increase the number of moles. This is another reason to avoid the sun and the damage it can do to your skin.

Moles can be easily removed by a variety of methods, most often right in a doctor's office.

Most people are not born with any moles but develop them as they age. In about one in 100 births however the baby does have moles at birth. These are called congenital nevi, according to AAD. These are often called birthmarks but should not to be confused with vascular birthmarks such as port wine stains. Depending on how large they are they can be called large or giant nevus. Large nevi are defined as over 4 inches and happen in about one in every 20,000 births, according to the Nevus Network (NN). There are usually a number of smaller nevi on the body as well. Giant nevi cover much of the body and are rare, according to NN, occurring once in 250,000 to half a million births.

There is also a type of mole called dysplastic nevi or atypical moles. They are not round but irregular in shape with uneven borders and larger in size. They also tend to be different colors, being brown toward the center and reddish at the edges.

AAD says people who are born with moles or nevi are at greater risk for developing skin cancer, particularly melanoma, the deadliest form.