FAQs

Dysplastic moles

Irregular and abnormal-appearing moles which sometimes resemble melanoma, but are harmless.

Dr Chris Miller
Answered by Dr Chris Miller
Accredited skin cancer doctor

MBBS, MA (Virtual Comm), Grad Cert Hlth Info, Grad Dip Comp Inf Sci

Removing moles does not usually prevent melanoma. Some moles can develop into melanoma, but this is unusual for normal moles and even the most odd-looking moles. The best medical intervention for reducing the risk of melanoma in people with many moles is regular full-body skin checks by an accredited skin cancer doctor, possibly with regular mole mapping photography of the whole body to check for suspicious changes in the skin.

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Removing moles does not usually prevent skin cancer. The most common skin cancers (basal and squamous cell carcinomas) and most melanomas grow from areas of normal skin. A small number of melanomas develop in pre-existing moles, but it's usually not possible to predict which moles will develop into melanoma, so removing moles doesn't tend to reduce the risk of future melanoma.

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Dysplastic moles were long thought to be precursors to melanoma. But in most cases, they are harmless and never cause any health issues.

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