Mole doctor

A mole (or nevus) is a cluster of dendritic pigment cells of the skin, melanocytes, which can be either congenital or acquired. These pigmented formations are located on the skin, in Latin - the dermis. And all problems associated with the skin, as you know, are dealt with by a special section of medicine - dermatology.

So, what is the name of a doctor who specializes in moles? That's right, it's a dermatologist. But a related question arises: what about aesthetic medicine and the whole army of cosmetologists who offer to remove moles that people believe spoil their appearance and sometimes cause significant inconvenience...

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Doctor's Advice on Moles

Everyone has moles, and professional advice from a doctor about moles will be useful to everyone.

Dermatologists urge you to pay close attention to your moles, especially if you have a lot of them and there are moles in "inconvenient places": on your hands and palms, in the groin area, on your neck, in the armpits, but on the scalp. It is this localization of moles that contributes to their traumatization, and trauma to moles can trigger the process of their malignancy.

Do not forget to periodically examine moles and, if you find any changes, consult a doctor. If the structure of the skin around the mole has changed, scales or cracks have appeared, and the mole itself has increased in size and has become denser and more asymmetrical, causes itching or painful sensations - these are alarming factors. And only medical specialists can understand the reasons for what is happening.

And do not try to remove a mole at home: it is life-threatening. And if a mole is accidentally injured with bleeding, you should use regular hydrogen peroxide (which should be in every home medicine cabinet) and stop the bleeding with a swab soaked in it. And do not delay, go to a medical institution. A mole doctor - a dermatologist - knows what to do next.

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Dermatologist or cosmetologist: which doctor should you contact regarding moles?

The transformation of normal skin cells into melanocytes occurs due to the accumulation of the dark pigment melanin, which protects the skin from UV radiation. And when blood vessels grow in a limited area of the dermis, red moles called vascular nevi appear.

Despite the wide distribution of moles, according to ICD-10 they are classified as congenital anomalies, deformations and chromosomal disorders (combined class of diseases XVII) and are included in the category Q82.5 – Congenital non-neoplastic naevus, i.e. congenital non-neoplastic nevus. Obviously, this is due to the fact that melanogenesis and the process of pigmentation of human skin are regulated by genes. At the same time, skin pigmentation disorders, including pigment spots, are excluded from this category and belong to class L (diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue).

Only a dermatologist, the chief doctor for moles, can understand all of this, examine the patient (including with a dermatoscope) and determine the type of mole and its structure.

Now it is necessary to clarify that dermatology, as well as dermatocosmetology and medical cosmetology, based on dermatology, are engaged in the treatment of patients, and dermatologists work here. While the task of aesthetic cosmetology is to improve appearance through proper skin care with the help of various cosmetics and some procedures. And people without medical education often work here, serving not patients, but clients.

Problems related to moles are primarily health problems, since nevi can be damaged by various factors and degenerate into melanoma – skin cancer, which is treated by oncodermatologists. According to the American National Cancer Institute (NCI), up to 25% of malignant melanomas develop from existing nevi (in particular, pigmented nevi, consisting of melanocytes).

By the way, as dermatologists note, melanocytes in moles undergo a kind of evolution, and almost all pigment nevi - both congenital and acquired - change over time. This applies to the size and shape of moles (from a flat spot to a papule raised above the surface of the skin), as well as their color. And only a dermatologist can distinguish a normal process from a pathological one. Therefore, the answer to the question of which doctor to contact about moles has a clear answer: a dermatologist!

And the doctor who removes moles is also a dermatologist who specializes in skin surgery and has mastered all methods of removing moles (from scalpel to laser and radiosurgery). It should be borne in mind that when removing a mole, its histological examination is mandatory.