Is mole with hair a non-cancerous one?

Question

Hi doctor,

About a month ago I vigorously scratched off a mole that was on my back. While lifting weights and lying on my back, it got irritated. I have had the mole for at least seven years. It has always been relatively big and light brown shade. However, when I picked it off it went away at first, then about a month later it gradually started to come back. Now, it is not even, looks irregular and varies in color a little bit. It has also grown hair in it. I searched for pictures of melanoma and freaked out. I do not have a history of skin cancer in my family. I am 24 years old and I go to the beach and pool quite often. I have not always worn sunscreen, but most of the time I wear SPF 15. I am not on any medication.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

You should not have scratched it, because the chances of malignancy increase in otherwise benign mole. Presently what I can see is the erosion (attachment removed to protect patient identity) so at this stage even dermoscopy would not be able to find out malignancy. So, best policy at this time is to use Mupirocin ointment twice daily in order to subside or prevent infection. Once the erosion is subsided then you can go for dermoscopic and histologic examination to confirm the nature of mole.

I hope this information will help you.

Thanks.

Answer 2

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Hair growth has nothing to do with malignancy. Melanoma is a tumor of melanocyte present in the basal layer of the epidermis while hair emerges from a different entity known as the hair follicle. So, in the advanced stage infiltration of tumor cells in hair follicles may cause hair loss but it does not always happen. This is why none of the scientific criteria for diagnosing melanoma has the presence or absence of hair.

I hope this information will help you.

Thanks.