Health-and-Fitness online information.

Q I am a 37-year-old female who has sensitive skin and is concerned about my facial moles. More and more have appeared as I have gotten older, and they first appeared when I was a youth. After constantly trying to deal with them with several facial treatments, nothing seems to work. What should I do about the moles on my face, and are they life-threatening? Should I follow my mother's advice and have them removed? W.A., Crystal Springs, Miss.

A Moles are small, usually dark, skin growths that develop from pigment-producing cells in the skin. They are common and can appear on most parts of the body, but they tend to get more attention when they appear on the face.

Doctors say practically everyone has about 10 moles, which are usually dark brown or black, but they can be flesh-colored or yellow-brown. They commonly develop during childhood or adolescence, and like all cells, pigment cells respond to changes to hormone levels, so moles may appear, enlarge or darken during pregnancy.

Most moles are harmless and don't have to be removed, but noncancerous moles can develop into malignant melanomas. Fortunately, researchers say the risk of any mole developing into melanoma is small--about one case in 200,000. Last year, the American Cancer Society reported that only about 7,400 deaths were due to melanomas.

If you consider the moles on your face to be unattractive, you can have them removed, but according to statistics, they probably are not life-threatening. Talk with your doctor, especially if there are changes in a mole, including enlargement, darkening, bleeding, itching and pain.

# posted by Medical Information : 5:22 AM