9 Myths About Moles And Skin Health You Should Avoid

Jun 05, 2018

Our skin is the largest organ in our body, and yet so many of us don't understand how to properly take care of it and when something is wrong. Here are the 9 most commonly believed myths about our skin that you need to know.

Sure, changes in our hands and face are easy to notice since we look at them the most often, but melanoma occurs more frequently in other parts of the body. According to this study, women get melanoma the most on their legs and men get it the most on their back. Seeing a dermatologist annually for a skin screening is a great way to monitor those hard to reach places you can't see alone.

While they may look alarming, most moles are benign. The real trouble occurs when a mole's appearance starts changing. If your mole is changing in any way, go get it looked at by a dermatologist immediately.

You definitely need to remove any melanomas, but for cosmetic purposes, there is no reason why healthy moles can't be removed, too. If you don't like the appearance of it or if it's in a location where it could get hurt, you might want to look into getting it removed.

Lasers and other fancy medical procedures may seem like they're more effective at removing moles, but the old-fashioned scalpel is still your best bet. The problem with liquid nitrogen, lasers, and other fancier procedures is that these methods destroy the skin cells. If you think you have melanoma, you need a scalpel to get a biopsy of the skin for lab analysis. If you don't get your results back and leave the melanoma untreated, you could die within the year.

You may think you're immune from sunburns if you have dark skin, but it is pretty difficult to see if you have any skin damage from the sun's powerful rays. Just because you can't see it, it doesn't mean that it's not there. Play it safe and keep your skin healthy by wearing sunscreen.

It goes against common sense, but you can get a sunburn if it's raining outside. That's because UV rays can penetrate thick clouds and wreak havoc on your skin. You should get into the habit of applying sunscreen any day you plan on being outside.

Most birthmarks aren't any cause for concern, but some people are born with a condition where all the birthmarks and moles on their bodies can turn into melanoma. This is why it's so important for all of us to regularly examine our skin and keep track of the appearances of our moles to monitor any changes.

If you have badly injured a mole, your first priority should be to clean the contaminated area to avoid infection. You don't necessarily need to get the mole removed, but you should get it looked at by a doctor to make sure it heals properly.

People seem to have an innate fear of fiddling with their moles. Lots of people believe that plucking hairs growing out of moles will give you cancer. So far, there is no evidence that messing with your mole will give you skin cancer.

Have you learned something new? Comment down below your thoughts and make sure all your friends with moles know this information!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!