A mole suddenly grew on my little finger

We can see many small black moles on our body. In fact, the appearance of moles is caused by abnormal local skin pigmentation. It is more common in congenital conditions, but can also occur in acquired conditions. So if we find a mole suddenly growing on our little finger, we don’t need to worry too much. Generally, moles do not cause any harm to our body. But some moles should be removed. What are the moles?

A mole is a localized abnormality of skin pigmentation that can be present at birth or acquired later in life. A healthy person usually has 15 to 20 moles on their skin. Most of these moles are benign and do not require treatment. But some moles grow on the face and affect the appearance, and different methods can be used to remove them. The commonly used methods of mole removal are as follows: laser method, freezing method, electrocautery method, spot removal machine method and chemical agent method.

Black hairy nevus is a type of pigmented nevus. It often attracts special attention because of its local blackening, rough and raised skin, and hard short hairs. Moles occurring in parts of the body that are prone to friction or injury should be taken seriously. For example, if the mole grows rapidly, becomes lighter or darker in color, the short hair on the mole falls off, the area around the mole turns red, bloodshot can be seen, the surface has ulcers and scabs, or even ulcers that do not heal for a long time are formed. Swollen lymph nodes nearby, or the appearance of small satellite moles around the large mole, all indicate that the mole has a tendency to become malignant. You should go to the hospital to ask a dermatologist or surgeon for diagnosis so that timely treatment can be provided. For the treatment of black hairy nevus, small nevus with a diameter of less than 0.5 cm can be cauterized with laser or high-frequency electric knife. The advantages are simple operation, less damage to normal tissue, and small scars after healing; the disadvantages are that it is difficult to retain nevus tissue for pathological examination and it is not easy to remove it completely. There are also methods of mole removal such as freezing and chemical corrosion, but they are not suitable because of the side effects of incomplete removal and stimulation of malignant transformation of mole cells. The above shortcomings can be compensated by using trephine to remove the nevus. Use a piercing drill that is 0.2 cm larger than the diameter of the mole to drill the entire mole after local skin anesthesia. The incision only needs to be sutured with one stitch using very fine silk thread. Since the long axis of the incision is consistent with the skin lines or expression lines, the postoperative scar is not obvious and the cosmetic effect is better.

Which moles should be removed?

1. Moles that are susceptible to long-term friction irritation, such as moles located where you wear a bra and on your waist.

2. Moles that show atypical changes. Moles with atypical appearance may become malignant, such as very dark moles, uneven pigmentation (variegated), uneven or irregular edges, unclear boundaries, left-right asymmetry, and statistically larger than 5 mm in diameter.

3. A single mole changes suddenly and rapidly. If moles all over the body change at the same time due to hormonal changes, there is less cause for concern. However, if a single mole changes suddenly and rapidly, it is worth paying attention to.

4. Moles growing in special places. If a mole grows on the extremities (hands or feet), it must be carefully observed because moles in these places are more likely to become malignant melanoma than moles in other places.

5. Moles of mucous membranes. Black moles on the oral mucosa, conjunctiva, vagina, and the part of the foreskin that is turned out.

6. Mole in the nail groove. The nail groove is connected to the skin under the nail and may grow under the nail and be blocked by the nail, making it difficult to see the changes. Moreover, if it grows at the extremities, it is more likely to become malignant in the future.

7. Some moles are inherently high-risk moles. Moles that can be seen when a baby is born are called congenital moles. There are not many congenital moles. According to statistics, 1% of newborns have moles. Not all congenital moles are dangerous at birth. Size is an important factor. Generally speaking, the larger the mole, the greater the chance of it becoming malignant in the future, so doctors recommend that it should be removed as soon as possible.

Some people have a keloid-prone constitution, in which scar tissue will proliferate abnormally, resulting in hypertrophic scars. Keloid pedis often occurs on the earlobes, shoulders, upper arms, chest and back, but not on the face. If people with this physical condition want to remove moles for cosmetic purposes, they should first inform their doctor of their physical condition to avoid getting big scars in return.