Almost everyone has moles, which usually appear as brown or black lesions that develop when melanocyte cells (pigment makers) grow in a cluster instead of being spread throughout the skin. When it comes to moles, New Jersey’s Skin & Laser Center of NJ explains that the lesions, also known as a nevus, can appear anywhere on the skin. Most moles develop in early childhood and during the first 25 years of a person’s life. As the years pass, the lesions typically stay the same or change very slowly, becoming raised, changing color, or even disappearing with time. Sometimes hairs develop within the lesions, or they may darken after exposure to the sun, during teen years, and during pregnancy.
While most moles are not cancerous, cancer cells can develop in melanocytes—and anyone with multiple moles is at greater risk of developing skin cancer. Conducting regular self examinations for skin cancer and discussing your health and concerns with the medical team at Skin & Laser Center of NJ are excellent steps on the road to healthy skin. The more you know about your skin, the better empowered you will be to help take care of it and yourself.
In late 2016 she founded the Skin & Laser Center of NJ, LLC in Mahwah, NJ where she continues to treat her medical and cosmetic patients, and further pursues her interest in laser medicine. Dr. Lieb’s mission is to provide high quality dermatologic care using up-to-date medical information and cutting edge technology in an efficiently run practice. Dr. Lieb is board certified in dermatology, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, a member of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery, and the New Jersey Dermatologic Society. Dr. Lieb is a Staff Dermatologist at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood.
There are many different types of moles, technically known as “nevi”:
Congenital nevi are present at birth, and occur in about one in 100 people. These are slightly more likely to develop into melanoma than those that appear after birth.
Intradermal nevi are usually soft, smooth, raised bumps and can develop at any time.
Junctional nevi develop over the course of a person’s life and are typically brown, tan, or black. They may be flat or slightly raised.
Dysplastic nevi are generally larger than average (larger than a pencil eraser), are irregular in shape, or have uneven color with dark brown centers and lighter edges. People who have 10 or more dysplastic nevi are 12 times more likely to develop melanoma on any part of their body—though not necessarily within these or other lesions.
Conducting regular self-examinations is the best way to detect early signs of skin cancer, including melanoma. Skin cancer is highly treatable when diagnosed early. Knowing what your moles and other marks on your skin look like now will allow you to recognize potential changes in these lesions in the future. Be sure to check your entire body including scalp and under your fingernails to be thorough. When examining your skin, you want to look for the warning signs that are the ABCDEs of melanoma:
Keep in mind that while any lesions or freckle should be checked if it has any characteristics of the ABCDEs, the Ugly Duckling rule is also important: If a mole stands out as different from all the lesions around it, it should be examined.
Skin & Laser Center of NJ in Ramsey provides a wide range of medical, surgical, and cosmetic services for patients in and around New Jersey. Patients can get diagnosis and treatment for acne, skin cancer (with Mohs surgery), chronic conditions (like psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema), moles, melasma, vitiligo, athlete’s foot, toenail fungus, scabies, contact dermatitis, and more. Cosmetic options include wrinkle-relaxing BOTOX® and Dysport®, dermal fillers like Juvederm® and Restylane®, Kybella® for reducing a double chin, chemical peels, Hydrafacial MD, microneedling, laser hair removal, laser acne treatments, laser scar treatments, laser tattoo removal, CoolSculpting®, laser vein treatments, sclerotherapy, and more.
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