Moles are harmless skin growths are flat or protruding. They vary in color from pink flesh tones to dark brown or black. Most people have moles; some more than others. A mole is very seldom cancerous. If you have a mole that is bigger than your other moles, you should have it checked immediately by your dermatologist. Aside for being a small burrowing mammal and a unit of chemical weight, the term mole is used to describe a variety of skin imperfections. Moles are sometimes referred as beauty marks. Moles may be tan, brown, black, reddish brown, red, purple, or skin-colored and perfectly flat or raised. Most moles are the size of a pencil eraser (about 6 mm). Certain moles become darker and more apparent with sun exposure and pregnancy. These typically lighten somewhat in the winter months. Moles can occur anywhere on the skin, including the scalp, ears, eyelids, lips, palms, soles, genitals, and anal area. The medical term for most moles is melanocytic nevus which is composed of masses of melanocytes. Melanocytes are the pigment-producing cells of the skin. However, there are a variety of other skin lesions that are also similar to moles. These skin lesions include seborrheic keratoses, skin tags, dermatofibromas lentigines, and freckles. In this article, the term moles will be synonymous with melanocytic nevus. The causes of moles can vary depending on our genetic makeup. Some of us are born with it while others develop moles in their later years. There is no explanation as to why we get moles. The more sun exposure one has, the higher the risk of moles in that area. However, moles may also occur in full sun-protected areas of the body as well. Pregnancy can cause moles, to get bigger, but if one is getting bigger faster than the others, then you should have it checked by your doctor. Both moles and freckles are considerably darker than the surrounding skin. Moles may be raised, slightly raised, or completely flat while freckles are always totally flat. Freckles and “liver spots” are due to an increase in the amount of dark pigment called melanin. Moles are more common in people prone to freckles. Freckles are flat spots that are tan, slightly reddish, or light-brown and typically appear during the sunny months. They are most often found in people with light complexions. Many people with blond or red hair and green or blue eyes are more prone to these types of skin growths. If you prevent skin moles in the first place, you will not have to deal with the process of removing them. Whenever we were firstborn our bodies were in perfect balance. Unfortunately, very few of us are able to maintain that balance throughout our lifetime. The easiest way to prevent moles is begin taking care of your body properly. Doing so will help you to be healthy on the inside and it will show will be outside by a reduction in the amount of these problems that you are experiencing. The three real keys to building your body up so that it is able to fight these problems are diet, exercise and hydration. Choose sunscreens that are designed to block ultraviolet rays. Use sunscreens that contain avobenzone, titanium dioxide or transparent or micro-dispersed zinc oxide. It is important to examine your skin for new moles or changes in moles once per month. New moles or moles that have changed in shape, size or color should always be checked by a qualified doctor or dermatologist to rule out malignancy. Doctors remove many moles on a daily basis, but there is always one recurring theme that dermatologists tell people: Be aware of your body and any moles that have changed over time. This is especially true for moles that are dark or flat. Invariably, people will see doctors and be extremely concerned about raised, lightly colored moles, but they are not concerned about the dark, black melanoma (skin cancer) next to the mole. This is truly important. Moles can be removed by several surgical methods such as excision with/without stitches or through excision with cauterization (a tool used to burn away the mole). Although laser excision has been tried for moles, it is not usually the method of choice for most deep moles because the laser light doesn’t penetrate deeply enough. Typically, the doctor or dermatologist may choose excision with or without stitches, depending on the depth of the mole and the type of cosmetic outcome desired. Risks of mole removal methods vary from infection to anesthetic allergy and nerve damage. One of the most common difficulties after mole removal is a scar. Many people will attempt to remove moles for cosmetic reasons, not realizing that each and every removal may result in a scar. Many times your surgeon can give you an idea of the type and location of a scar after mole removal before you make your decision about removal. It is always prudent to choose a dermatologist or surgeon with appropriate skills and experience with these removals. This will decrease your risk associated with this procedure.