Raised Facial Mole - Derma prob!

dogstarheaven

have a mole on face that got 'caught' somehow via washing and then over time, i must have scratched it by accident, it bled a lot and then it's raised by about 2mm (1mm x 1mm surface area). It's quite noticeable and am unable to wear foundation over it as it's too bumpy in texture. Been to Docs and they advised that it'll go down in time and there's nothing I can do about it. If I were to go for a surgical removal (privately), it's most probable, I might make it worse.

Has anyone had this problem before? It's affecting my self-confidence a lot and am afraid of going near ppl in case they notice it. family haven't mentioned it, but when I pointed it out to them, they do agree it's obvious:(

I think this has been going on now for the past 6mths. I'm trying conscientiously to splash water on my face rather than bothering with facial washes and scrubs etc.,

can someone help pls?

McKneff

Go to one of the biggie beauty counters. They are there to help. honestly you wont believe how they can cover blemishes, rosacae, and raised moles. Debenham ladies are pretty good.

We cant give medical advice, indeed you have already had it. But give it a go, you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

And listen, dont be afraid of going near people, if they are so shallow, it's them that has a problem, not you.

dogstarheaven

i have a concealer cream from a salon i went to for treatment for my milia on my face some years ago when the red soreness was a bit too obvious (I didn't use the cream again as it went down after shortly). the actual texture of the mole is that grainy/textured that anything to conceal it would highlight it even further. i just want to know how others have dealt with theirs and how long might i expect for this to go back down to normal size...

miduck

As it is bothering you so much, it would be cost effective for you to make a private appt with a dermatologist for their opinion. No point in shelling out for various lotions and potions when a twenty minute consultation would give you a much more reliable answer. If going down this route it is worth choosing a consultant that also works in the NHS, as they can advise you of any options that you may be able to get for free or on NHS prescription.

If it helps, I have used the Park Hospital and the Ramsay (Woodthorpe), albeit not for dermatology, but both were very professional - and they have medics that also work at Queens, Kings Mill etc.

lessonlearned

Ask your GP for a referral to a skin specialist. A mole which has changed or has become raised and which bleeds easily needs further investigation. Don't just accept your GP's word, unless he or she specialises in skin issues.

I had a similar issue and my GP referred me. If you do need further treatment then this should be covered by the NHS because it is not regarded as "purely cosmetic".

purple45

I had a raised mole on my neck that caught a couple of times and bled. I've had several moles removed including that one just by raising concerns with the doctors. But I do have little scars left in their place so that is something to consider. Its such a minor thing to have one removed, if I were you I'd go back to the doctors and ask again and tell them you want to be referred to have it removed. Good luck!

dogstarheaven

thanks for your replies, folks. the Doc did say that the it was "purely cosmetic" and that there's no chance of it being better after removal as it would leave a scar. How much would a consultation cost privately? As it's between the jawline and the cheekbone, it's really quite prominent. Unfortunately at the practice where I go, there isn't a skin specialist and saw one of the long-standing docs there. I don't really want to gain a 2nd opinion from elsewhere for fear of the 2nd doc concluding with the same advice. There's no other way of speeding up the healing process, is there? Maybe Aloe Vera gel?

lessonlearned

I'm sorry I really don't want to be alarmist but I really do think you should go back to your GP.

How closely did your GP examine your mole, was it a quick glance or did he or she use a magnifying glass.

Moles do not start bleeding with normal washing. It needs investigating properly.

A private consultation is likely to cost a couple of hundred ££'s but it shouldn't be necessary to pay. Your doctor should refer you to a NHS consultant at your local hospital.

Your doctor is being alarmist about scarring. I've had moles removed and the scarring is minimal, far less noticeable than the original mole.

Please don't let your doctor fob you off. If your mole doesn't improve within say 4 weeks, then go back and insist on a referral.

dogstarheaven

thanks lessonlearned. i shall wait for a month and see it fares. it's only bled twice from washing, and since then i'm more conscious of washing it now (it's a burger to not use facials/scrubs but that 's the price i'll have to pay). the doc did use a magnifying glass to inspect the mole and said outright that it wasn't malignant (real reason why i went) and that i should just leave well alone and it should go down in its own time. the other week tho', i managed to accidentally "knock-off" half its size from washing and i think it might have been part-dried blood and part-"dead" layer of the mole. so, in appearance, it was double the depth it was. i'm afraid that this may be increase in time, or if i happen to catch it again.

were your moles in a prominent area on the face, lessonlearned? and that the doc agreed removal despite that it is a cosmetic treatment?

lessonlearned

My main one was not an actual mole but a "birthmark" which went "rogue". (I was 55 at the time). The surgeon also did a couple of small moles at the same time because he had concerns.

When I say it was a birthmark everyone had just assumed it was a birthmark and because it didn't change much over the years my old GP from way back when advised me to leave well alone.

It was only when it began to change, like your mole, bleeding and become raised and itchy, that my GP decided I should see a consultant.

Further investigation showed that it was in fact not a birthmark but a Basal Cell Carcinoma and that it needed to be removed.

Now whether or not it was a birthmark which changed or whether it was always a carcinoma which had lain dormant we'll never know.

When I was told that it needed to be removed I asked if I could have laser treatment because like you I wanted to avoid scars. My consultant advised me that he was concerned that laser treatment might be insufficient so he removed it surgically.

He made a superb job and after a year or so the scar was practically invisible. Obviously I know it's there but no-one ever notices and it is smack bang in the middle of my cheek, a really obvious place. I don't need make up to cover it.

Unfortunately I now have a couple of tiny lesions that won't heal - one on my forehead and one near my eye. I have an appointment on 3rd January to get them checked out. These are probably due to accumulated sun damage. Minor skin carcinomas are very common as you get older.

I tell you all this not to scare you but to illustrate that minor skin carcinomas are not life threatening and they are easily treated. However, they should not be ignored.

They grow very slowly and they do not colonise any other organs, but unfortunately if left untreated they will grow.

BTW - I am a trained beauty therapist so even if I had not suffered with this problem myself I would have still advised you to monitor your mole very carefully given that it's appearance has changed and that you have had episodes where it has been bleeding.

If you google "Basal Cell Carcinoma" there is all sorts of information, complete with pictures to help you identify different kinds of both carcinomas and moles.

Do try not to worry, only melanomas are life threatening and doctors are trained to spot these, he used a magnifying glass so he sounds pretty clued up.

Troublesome moles which are not malignant are very easily treated.

If you have been scratching it, the mole may have become infected. If so a mild anti-biotic cream should do the trick.

As I said in my previous post - just monitor it for a few weeks. If it doesn't improve then go back to your GP.

It is a good idea to take photos of it, every few days, then you will have a record and can better judge what is happening.

Good luck.

As a beauty therapist and a sufferer of troublesome moles myself I would advise everyone to please be aware that sun protection is very important, especially on the face and neck, which have high levels of exposure.

dogstarheaven

over time judging from photos of me when i was young, i'm sure my moles have got bigger in surface area and depth (originally, very minor small spots, no depth). i shall be taking pics from next week when i shall get a new camera to record its "progress" , if any...

tho' sometimes, i do wonder whether they are 'sun' or 'age spots'. I am 42 and have a high melanin in my skin (tan easily and don't really wear SPF v. often but when I do, it's usually SPF 20 - 30 in a moisteriser).

when i did visit the doc, she did swiftly brush me away quite quickly when she realised that it was nothing to worry about, and said it wasn't allowed on the NHS for removal for cosmetic reasons. she didn't advise me to go back after a period of time if it hadn't healed.

Looking at the Basal Cell Carcinomas was horrible (as all medical pics are!!) and none of my moles resembled anything like them at all.

I don't have any antibiotic cream (something for my eczema might that's begins with Beta

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thanks for helping me, LL. it's been quite a worry these past few weeks...