Mole on the leg started peeling off on scratching. Skin became lighter. Is it a problem?
Patient: Hi , I m an 18 year old female. I ve had a mole/ birthmark on my leg since I was very little. It wasn t big and it was brown, it was about the size of a pencil eraser..I disliked it very much, so about two years ago, I started scratching at it and peeling it off. It left a pink area of skin and then healed and eventually started to grow back. so I ve peeled three or four times before, but it has always grown back. I ve stopped peeling and scratching because someone told me this was harmful. Right now, it looked smaller, and like brown dots put together. a bit of the skin underneath, is white, lighter than my other skin , but I m an ivory skin color. Is this bad??? :( im worried. It doesn t hurt or anything. but I m still very scared. Doctor: Repeated scratching and teasing a mole poses a grave danger of converting it to cancer. You should immediately stop any further scratching it. You should get it removed by a plastic surgeon as they have the necessary expertise to remove it surgically with good cosmetic result. At the same time the removed mole should be checked up in the laboratory(Histo-pathology laboratory to be precise)to find out that whether it is benign or cancerous. Please dont just relax by getting it removed. you must follow up with your doctor to find out the final diagnosis after the laboratory result.  Regards dr Rajesh Kaushash MS,M.Ch.(Plastic),FRCS