Moles: What's Normal and When to Get One Checked

Moles are growths on the skin that form when pigment cells, called melanocytes, grow in clusters. They are very common: most people have between 10 and 40. New ones may appear from time to time, usually until about age 40, and in older people they tend to fade.

What an ordinary mole looks like

• pink, tan or brown;
• flat or raised;
• usually round or oval;
• no larger than a pencil eraser.

Atypical moles

About one person in ten has at least one unusual, or atypical, mole that looks different from an ordinary one. These are called dysplastic nevi, and they may be more likely than ordinary moles to turn into melanoma, a type of skin cancer.

Have a health care professional check any mole that looks unusual, grows larger, or changes in colour, outline or any other way.

Sources

• MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, "Moles," from the NIH National Cancer Institute. https://medlineplus.gov/moles.html
• Rewritten in hubnx's own words.