Moles also called melanocytic nevus are small lesions which are formed due to collection of melanocytes or pigment producing cells. These are usually brownish may be a little darker sometimes. They can be rough, flat , raised and have hair coming out of them. They are generally round or oval, and have a smooth edge.
Some moles respond to hormone levels , as may occur during pregnancy, adolescence and older age. During teenage they usually grow in number, get darker in pregnancy and gradually fade away with age.

Types of moles:

  • Junctional melanocytic nevi - usually round, flat and brown.
  • Dermal melanocytic nevi- usually raised, sometimes have hair, light coloured.
  • Halo nevi- these have white ring around the border.
  • Dysplastic nevi- edges are irregular and do not change over time. It is an unusual looking mole.

Treatment :

If moles have regular borders and are usual brown in colour can be easily removed with laser.
Smaller moles which are protruding from the surface of skin are removed in 2- 3 sessions using pixel or Co2 laser. This treatment uses intense pulse of light radiation to break down the mole completely. While excision and cutting are the more common and recommended methods of removing moles, laser removal can be useful for harder to reach areas such as face or ears etc and also can be helpful for removing multiple moles at the same time.