Have you ever wondered how many moles you have all over your body? According to studies conducted by skin experts, every person has between 10 to 50 moles on any part of the body. Surprising, isn't it? But have you ever thought of what are moles (on the skin)? Skin moles are like spots commonly seen on your skin usually in round or oval shape. They can be small or large and usually have different colors like pink, brown, red or black. In medical terms a single mole is referred to as nevus while the plural form of it is called as nevi. They usually appear during your early twenties. They can be seen on any part of the skin as a group or other times they form alone. Some of the moles tend to disappear as you grow old but others will just remain the same.
Genetics and sunlight are known to be the cause of skin moles. They develop during your early childhood or at any age. Hormonal balance, puberty, pregnancy and menopause also contribute to the development of skin moles. Melanocytes is a collection of cells that forms a mole. They are present on the skin and are part of the skin pigmentation which grows together in clusters. There are two main types of skin moles known as congenital nevi and dysplastic nevi. The difference of these two is explained further to give you a better understanding of what are moles (on the skin)?
- Congenital Nevi - is the type of skin moles that appear at the time of birth. Health experts said that moles that are developed at birth have higher chance of turning into melanoma which is a skin cancer than those that will appear after birth. They tend to change in size or appearance every now and then.
- Dysplastic Nevi - are the large ones that are usually in irregular shapes and are overall uneven in color. These skin moles are the usually the hereditary type.
With all of these information given the next thing you will ask is are these skin moles cancerous? The answer is no, they are not. But they are likely to develop into cancer if not taken care of. Because of this, you need to pay more attention to any part of your body that is often exposed to the sun like ears, face, neck, chest, arms and hands. If you notice any changes in pigmentation on your skin then you need to see your dermatologist to consult what seems to be wrong and if there's a need to remove some of your moles. The next time you'll be asked what are moles (on the skin)? You know what to tell and how to explain it.
