Skin moles are growths on the skin. They are usually round or oval-shaped. Their color is generally brown but can vary to different shades.
They are very common and they can occur all over the body but they occur more frequently on the trunk of the body, face and arms.
There are mainly 5 types:
• Junctional Moles: These are typically some shade of brown and can be very slightly raised above the skin or completely flat
• Compound Moles: These growths are usually raised and can be of a tan shade all the way through the color wheel to a deep brown. This type involves melanocytes (which are the cells that produce our skin color) and can be found in the upper and lower layers of the skin.
• Dermal Moles: These types of growths can contain hair and are very common on the upper half of the body. They can be the same color as the flesh all the way through a dark brown.
• Blue Moles: These are always raised slightly and as the name indicates are a deep brown or blue in color. They pull this color from deep down in the skin. Women have these type of growths much more commonly than men.
• Sebaceous Moles: This type of growth does not resemble the rest in that they are very rough to the touch and typically yellow in color. They are caused by oil glands being a bit over-active
Most of the different types of growths are non-cancerous but if your notice any changes in them you should seek medical attention. Some may develop into a cancerous growth.
