Why do beauty marks grow

Think of the frenzy caused by Cindy Crawford's in the early '90s. In fact, the so-called value of the beauty mark has vacillated quite a bit, altering throughout time and across various cultures. In Ancient Greece, beauty marks— often referred to as olives— were commonly used during the process of predicting one's future. If you were lucky enough to have a beauty mark on your cheek, then you were destined for a future of prosperity. A mole on your throat or back? Well let's just say your fortune involved premature death.

The Romans view of beauty marks had a darker connotation. Formerly enslaved Romans would use faux moles to conceal their scars, caused by the abuse they endured during their time in bondage. Mian Xiang, or face reading, was developed thousands of years ago as a form of divination. Your Cookie Settings This site uses cookies and similar technologies for performance, social media and advertising purposes in order to provide a customised user experience and understand how our sites are used.

When should you see a doctor about your beauty spot or mole? Why is checking moles and beauty spots important? If a mole has changed in any way you need to make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. If you hold off, the melanoma might go hard and lumpy and start to ooze.

What will happen next? Moles, or nevi the medical term , usually look like a type of growth on the skin, and are just as common as freckles.

Often, moles appear as small, dark brown spots. They are caused when melanocytes grow in clusters or clumps. Moles are usually a bit darker than freckles, and deeper in the dermis, or deeper in the skin. Moles can be brown, tan, black and even red, blue or pink.

Oval or round in shape, they feel smooth or wrinkled and can be flat or raised. They can also have hair growing from them! Generally moles appear during childhood or adolescence, and most people have between 10 and 45 moles by the time they are 40 years old. Some may fade, or even disappear, with age. Freckles and moles have two things in common: there is a genetic tendency to get them, and both are darker than the surrounding skin.

Their color and texture can vary, and they usually have an uneven border that fades into the surrounding skin. According to the American Cancer Society , some atypical moles may become cancerous. However, most atypical moles do not develop into melanomas. Since atypical moles may show some similar characteristics to melanoma, people should visit their dermatologist to be sure that there are no concerns. This rare type of mole looks a lot like melanoma, but it is not cancerous.

It usually develops in fair skinned children and young people under 20 years old. Sometimes, doctors find it difficult to distinguish between a spitz nevus and melanoma and may recommend its removal as a preventive measure. Spitz nevi grow quickly and can vary in size from millimeters to a centimeter or so in diameter. Other characteristics of spitz nevi include:.

Although most moles are benign, people should see their doctor if they notice a new mole or recent changes to existing moles.

ABCDE stands for:. Some dermatologists may recommend that people take monthly pictures of areas with lots of moles, such as the back, in order to spot changes. Checking areas such as the nails, feet, and hands are also important as melanomas can also arise in these locations. Moles are skin growths made of melanocytes.