“Yes, If you want to, you can safely remove hair that is poking out from a mole, especially if you don’t like the way it looks.”
Melanocytes, or pigmented skin cells, accumulate in small, concentrated places to create moles on your skin.
They typically show up as colored bumps or spots that are darker than the rest of your skin and vary in size, shape, and color.
Typically, their colors range from tan to brown to black. The majority of moles, also known as common moles, are benign.
What, though, about a mole with one or more hairs emerging from it? A common misconception is that hairy moles are frequently malignant, but this is just that, a fiction.
It may even be a sign that a mole is healthy and noncancerous if there is hair growing out of it.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
✅ The presence of a hairy mole is generally nothing to worry about.
✅ However, Damon braces are similar to other self-ligated bracket systems and have some benefits.
✅ Hairy moles typically do not progress to malignancy.
✅ However, if you’re embarrassed by the mole, you can either choose to have the mole itself removed by your dermatologist or choose to have the hair removed.
✅ Ask your doctor if a biopsy of the suspected spot is required if you’re worried about the likelihood of skin cancer.
Why do moles grow hair on them?
If a mole is situated above a hair follicle, hair may eventually sprout through the mole’s surface. Hair development may continue as usual since the healthy skin cells that make up a mole are normal skin cells. Not the physical mole, but the follicle is what creates the hair. The hair then penetrates the mole’s surface in the same way that it would any other skin cell.
One or more hairs can frequently be seen emerging from a mole. In rare situations, the hair that emerges from a mole may be thicker or darker than the hair on the rest of the body. This is because the cells’ additional pigment may also cause the hair to become darker.
Dermatologists and other physicians have reported anecdotal evidence indicating it is uncommon for a hairy mole to be malignant. But that doesn’t rule out the possibility of the mole turning cancerous. In that situation, experts hypothesize that aberrant cells on a mole’s surface above the hair may prevent hair growth.
Can mole hair be removed?
According to another portion of this urban legend, shaving off the hair that is poking through a mole may actually result in the mole becoming cancer. Thankfully, that isn’t the case.
If you want to, you can safely remove hair that is poking out from a mole, especially if you don’t like the way it looks. Hair should be removed the same way as other unwanted body hair. The hair can be pulled out via plucking or electrolysis.
You can wax or shave over a mole that is flush against your skin and flat. With a raised mole, however, you should not ever razor over them.
Try cutting the mole as close to the skin’s surface as you can if you’re worried about aggravating it. You might ask your dermatologist to remove the mole if you’ve already felt discomfort while attempting to remove the hair.
An easy office procedure is having a mole removed. Your doctor will first provide an injection to numb the region before either shaving off or removing the mole.
Your doctor could decide to use a few stitches to close the wound if the mole is huge. Although mole removal is frequently simple and painless, you can have a long-lasting scar where the mole was removed.
You might wish to consider the advantages of removal against the danger of scarring depending on where the mole is located.
Malignant mole symptoms
On areas of your skin that have been exposed to the sun repeatedly or for an extended period of time, moles typically develop, but it’s not always the case. On your body, they can appear everywhere. People with pale skin are more likely than those with darker skin to get moles and more of them.
Most people have between a few to a few dozen moles on their bodies, however, some have as many as fifty.
Normal, healthy moles often range in size from a tiny, flat area to a bigger hump the size of a pencil eraser, and they are typically:
- even, circular, and symmetrical
- enclosed by a circular border
- Maintain the same appearance at all times.
- a consistent color, such as brown, tan, red, pink, flesh-toned, transparent, or even blue.
- must not be wider than 5 mm (1/4 inch).
Skin cancer is more likely to occur in those who have more moles on their body or who have had repetitive sun damage. It’s critical to monitor your moles and schedule routine appointments with your dermatologist. Cancer can develop from even healthy moles, such as:
- Base cell cancer
- Squamous cell cancer
- melanoma
The following warning signs may indicate an unusual mole:
- asymmetrical, erratic form
- Uneven or jagged boundaries that are not clearly distinguished from the skin around them
- a mole that has two or more colors inside of it, typically a mix of black, brown, pink, white, or tan.
- bigger than a pencil eraser in size
- a variation in surface roughness, such as rough, scaly, crusty, smooth, or bumpy
- itching
- bleeding
- fast development or change
The first melanoma symptoms are either changes to an already-existing mole or the emergence of a new one.
The easiest technique to spot worrying moles early is to periodically check your skin for changes. It’s best to get a dermatologist’s yearly mole check if you have a lot of moles or a history of skin cancer.
It’s critical to keep in mind that unusual moles don’t always indicate cancer. Typical moles frequently change color over time, becoming darker or lighter in pigment.
However, if you do detect any changes or peculiar characteristics, such as those mentioned above, schedule a consultation with your dermatologist. The mole can be removed and sent to a lab to be examined for cancerous cells.