Q. Is it normal for a mole to disappear?
Hi doctor,
Several years ago, I had a flat, brown mole on the inner side of my lower lip. I am not sure whether it appeared suddenly or I just noticed it later after some days. I went to my dermatologist and she said it was a mole. She might have said freckle and that it was not anything to worry about. Since then, it faded in color until it just disappeared one day. It probably disappeared a few years later. I have not had any mole that disappeared. Is this regression of any concern?
Hi,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
Moles are of various kinds. Some moles are non-pigmented. It is normal for a pigmented mole to regress and disappear, as it is to become raised above the surface of skin. That is not a cause of concern, especially when your doctor had ruled out any atypicality of the mole. Moles are of concern if they show a sudden increase in size, differential pigmentation, bleeding, irregular borders, etc. In that case, a biopsy or dermascopy should be done to determine the true nature of the lesion.
Thank you for your reply doctor,
Is it possible that this was never a mole, but instead a broken blood vessel? It was underneath the skin and had a bit of a purplish hue and it disappeared when I touched it. It used to reappear again a few seconds later. Then it faded and eventually left altogether within a few years. My other question is, in the event this was a melanoma that regressed, would I have other symptoms by now as this all occurred several years ago? It has been almost a decade now.
Hi,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
Yes, it is possible. Since it blanched on pressure, it means the lesion was a vascular one and not a mole. Even if it was a melanoma as you are worried about,melanomas are highly malignant and symptoms appear soon after. Since a decade has passed, rest assured it was nothing ominous.
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