Video
Body Check – Moles Transcript.
Dr Christian: Moles are generally harmless but they can develop into a deadly form of skin cancer – called a malignant melanoma.
To increase the chances of successful treatment the cancer must be spotted early,
Which is where you come in. Checking your own moles is the most efficient and fast way to spot a problem.
New moles can occur at any time – they form where there’s a concentration of pigment, which can just happen or can result from sun exposure.
Moles naturally come in a range of shapes, sizes and colours and can even be hairy. These in themselves are nothing to worry about. It’s any changes or unusual characteristics that are important. Use the simple ABCD rule to spot these changes.
A stands for Asymmetry. Look to see if the shape of the mole is different from one side to the other.
B is for Border. The edges of the mole shouldn’t be blurred or jagged.
C stands for Colour. Look out for changes or if the mole develops different shades or patchy colouring.
Finally D is for Diameter. Check if the mole increases in size and particularly look out for any mole measuring more than 6 millimeters, which is about the size of the end of a pencil. If any of these changes occur you should make an appointment to see your doctor.Also, if a mole reddens, itches or bleeds you should get it seen as soon as possible.
For this body check and others featured on the site we want to hear about your findings so please come back to share your results and discuss them with other site users.
Examine your moles regularly to check for new ones or changes to the old ones. You should also check in hard to reach places; moles can appear anywhere on the body. Use a mirror or get a friend to help. Taking a well-lit photo is a great way to compare changes over time.
And if you have any concerns do contact your GP.
Body Check: Moles
Moles are generally harmless but they can lead to a deadly form of skin cancer called a malignant melanoma. In this video, Dr Christian explains what to look out for when checking your moles.
New moles can develop at any time. Moles generally come in a range of shapes, sizes and colours. They are normally nothing to worry about, unless they start to change and develop unusual characteristics. Use the simple A B C D rule to spot these changes.
A – Asymmetry, a mole shouldn’t differ from one side to the other.
B – Border, the edges of the mole shouldn’t be blurred or jagged.
C – Colour, look out for any changes in colour or patchy shades.
D – Diameter, check to see if a mole increases in size or if it is larger than 6mm across.
Also check to see if a mole reddens itches, crusts or bleeds and if you spot any of these changes, make an appointment and see your GP.
We want to hear about your findings, so please click the link below and add your results to our national survey.
+++Update+++
From the 13th – 20th May 2009 we conducted a National Health Survey to find out how many people had potentially problematic moles. Below are the detailed results.
Most of you who responded had normal looking moles, but around 10% of you found ones with either asymmetric or irregular borders. These are often benign, but if you are worried, or you spot changes to your moles, get them checked out. A good way to check for changes is to take a photo of your mole at regular intervals. That way you can judge whether the mole is changing, and take the pictures to your doctor if necessary.
Around a fifth of you reported itchy moles. This is definitely something that you should see your GP about, especially if they are painful or start to bleed regularly.
A small number of you also reported moles that had reddened suddenly, which comes under the ‘c’ for change warning sign. This can be a normal pigment change, but it could also be indicative of a mole turning malignant, so should be checked out by a medical professional.
Normal Moles – 56%
Irregular Border – 3%
Uneven Colour – 1%
Assymetric – 9%
Large Diameter – 8%
None – 23%
Yes
NoComments and Questions
You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
Hi there, I have a freckle on the inside of my leg that is very dark brown/black in colour. It is not itching and Im not getting any other effects mentioned in other posts. The colour has simpled gone almost black. I recently lived in Australia for a year and I think I first noticed the colour change when I returned to the UK about a year ago. Just wondering if I should get this checked out??? Thanks R
Hi I have always had 1 mole on my vagina and I have recently had 3 appear and one was iching on occasions it this normal ? Thankyou
I have a few moles on my body, namely on my face and back (which my wife has always moaned about getting removed, just incase it turns sinister, but they dont itch, bleed, scab, and they havent changed all my life and im now 24, would anyone recommend getting them removed and explain procedure please, also i jav a mole on my right upper leg and its just popped up recently and is slightly itchy, this could be to do with work clothing or should i get it checked out any way? Any help would be advantageous and much appreciated!!
I have what looks to be a mole on the outside of my vagina what could it be? sometimes i have several.
A couple of months ago i noticed a freckle on my stomach. It turned into a scab and then turned back into a hard freckle. This has been happening on my arm as well lately . I also have a few freckles on my stomach now that are slightly hard and dis-coloured or dark. Is this something i should have checked out?
Hi I am 20 years old and I have noticed 5 brown/dark brown freckles in my vagina that were not there previously. They are around 5mm and are not raised or painful. I have had a few minor instances of irritation and itchiness. I am unsure whether this could be related to HPV or something else. I would greatly appreciate if anyone's opinion or advice. I intend on going to the Doctor but I don't have the money to go see one until next week.
My boyfriend has quite a lot of moles on his body but I noticed that when he got back from his summer holiday, one of them had developed a white ring around it. Is this a concern??
hi i wonder if anyone can help me i have had some blue spots on my bady from borth and there is more coming out all the time and they are sore i have had a lot of specialists have a look and they dont no what they are and i have a byopsey done to and they sead they have no i der i have got told that it is very rear my dad has them to he past them on to me but they have trying for years to find out what they r on him but his r a lot biger i just wound like to find out what they are and if i can do something about them if anyone came helpp that would be good thanks gemma
I just recently noticed a mole right above my chest but lower to the neck. It has started to raise and itch every so often. The shpae is not a circle but a oval with a curved edge. It is about 1mm to about 2mm long. I am only 14 and starting to get worried, feedback would be very benficial, please...
hi im 15 i also have a light brownish mole/freckle about 2mm and its very itchy and raised .... can you get back to be and tell me what happened did you go to the doctors ? thanks
hi im 13 and yesterday i noticed a 4 millimetre tall skin colored lump ( think its a mole) near my hole in my vagina and im really worried that it is dangerous i.e caancer please help i dont know what to do ive never heard about it befor :(
Thats like mine but mines black:/ I am 13 too and dont know how to tell my mum:/
