Moles are probably the most common of ordinary skin growths. They are the result of a high concentration of melanocytes, growing in clusters in the outer surface epidermis (skin). Melanocytes are a special kind of cells, producing melanin which is the pigmented substance responsible for skin and hair color, and the darker color of skin when we are exposed to sunlight.
Moles can appear anywhere on the body, they can be any size or shape, ranging from pinprick size to really large ones covering sizeable areas of the body, and various shades of brown, ranging from pinkish-tan to blue-black. They can also be rather flat, barely protruding from the surrounding skin, or quite fleshy and bulbous.
Moles are not contagious like warts, so normally there is no reason why you would want to remove them. However, there are times when the existence of moles on your body may cause problems, interfere with your daily activities or simply embarrass you from a social point of view. Moles on the face or neck for example, especially if they are considerable in number or particularly large, may be quite unsightly and a far cry from being a “beauty mark”. Also, moles on areas of the body where they constantly come into contact with clothing or underwear, may get irritated, painful or bleed, which is not good for moles and their meaning. Additionally, protruding moles on the face or legs may be accidentally shaved off, which is not something you should do, contrary to skin tags, for example.
The reason moles should not bleed or be cut-off is that in some cases, they may be or may develop into cancerous growths, such as melanoma, which is the worst case of skin cancer. You should never attempt to remove a mole on your own, unless it has been previously diagnosed and you are absolutely, positively, 100% sure that it is not cancerous.
Moles may be removed surgically, by a dermatologist, either for cosmetic reasons or because of its position on your body which prevents it from being regularly monitored or causes it frequent chaffing and irritation. Whatever surgical method is used for mole removal, either shave excision, punch biopsy or excisional surgery, depending on the size of the mole, it will very likely leave a scar, as the mole is actually cut-off from the surrounding tissue. Furthermore, having moles removed professionally, especially if you have lots of them, may prove quite expensive.
There are several home treatments you could try to remove your moles, provided you know for sure that they are harmless. I really cannot stress the importance of this point enough, as you could put yourself into significant danger by attempting to treat a suspicious looking mole on your own. If you do decide to treat your moles by yourself using home remedies, the following have been reported as being quite effective:
-Tying a hair, thread or piece of dental floss around the base of the mole and tightening progressively, until the mole dries up and falls off.
-Applying a paste made of baking soda and castor oil daily, until the mole vanishes.
-Applying onion juice, garlic juice or dandelion root juice on the mole, until it begins to change color, dry up and disappear.
People have also been known to shave off or cut off their moles, which as I have previously noted, I consider a very dangerous thing to do, last but not least considering that you could very possibly cause a permanent scar which could be more unsightly than the mole itself.