I accidentally ripped off a mole, what should I do?

On the body of each person, to a greater or lesser extent, there are various benign formations: age spots, papillomas, warts and ordinary moles. By the way, the latter, according to medical terminology, are more often called nevi. They can be congenital or acquired, colored in various shades. Nevi themselves are not dangerous, but what to do if you rip off a mole? They say that after this person serious troubles await. Is it so? Let's try to figure it out.

It is impossible to deny the fact that there is still a real threat to the health of a person who has torn off a mole. What to do if the nevus comes off or is slightly damaged? First of all, don't panic, no matter what.

Cancer after nevus damage: is it true?

Since childhood, we have all heard versions of what will happen in the event of such an injury. The most frightening one sounds like this: a mole will degenerate from benign to malignant. Oncologists talk about what to do if you accidentally tear off a mole: if possible, the torn-off formation should be sent for histological examination.

It is important to understand that trauma to a nevus alone will not cause cancer. Medical practice actually knows of cases where, after damage to a mole, a person rapidly developed melanoma. Doctors have no doubt that the nevi in ​​these patients were already malignant, that is, they became cancerous long before the injury, which simply accelerated the course of irreversible processes in the body.

Infection and inflammation

Another development of events is possible if you accidentally ripped off a mole. What to do if the nevus is damaged? Put aside your worries about oncology, and better get started treating the wound! It is with infection and inflammation of the skin that those who do not know what to do if they have torn off a mole turn to a dermatologist. With normal immune function, bacterial infection of a wound does not pose an increased threat. But still, certain symptoms in the area of ​​​​the fallen mole should alert you and prompt you to visit a dermatologist:

1. burning;
2. mild swelling;
3. redness;
4. itching;
5. discharge of ichor from the wound.

How to treat a damaged mole site

Thus, it is important to provide yourself with first aid correctly if you accidentally pick off a mole. What to do at home is probably not worth talking about. If the injury does not bleed, it is enough to carry out disinfection measures and apply a bandage, securing it with an adhesive plaster. But often blood bleeds from the wound for a long time if a mole is torn off. What to do in this case? The following actions must be taken in exact sequence:

1. Disinfect the area of ​​damage using hydrogen peroxide, Chlorhexidine, Miramistin or other disinfectants. Simply soak the bandage in the medicinal solution and rinse the wound.
2. After this you need to stop the bleeding. There will be severe bleeding if you rip off a red mole. What to do with damage to an angioma (this is the name of a formation on the skin that appears as a result of disturbances in the blood vessels)? Take an antiseptic, soak a cotton pad in it and press it onto the wound, holding tightly until the bleeding stops.
3. Treat with iodine.

Keep watching

So what to do? If you ripped off a mole, calm down and start treating the damaged area. Disinfected, the bleeding has stopped, and now lubricate the edges of the wound with a brown solution. Many people ask what iodine is needed for. Its solution produces a strong drying effect and protects the wound from infection. After this, apply a sterile bandage. Do not wet the wound for several days.

If the mole has not completely fallen off, but has only become torn, monitor its condition. If the symptoms do not disappear after a day, be sure to show the damaged nevus to a specialist. Proper first aid guarantees normal healing and the absence of any problems in the future.

Hanging mole does not come off

Sometimes the epidermis prevents the nevus from falling off completely. When asked what to do if you have torn off a hanging mole, there are two possible answers:

1. Sterilize the scissors and carefully cut off the skin, placing the formation in saline solution. In the near future, the nevus should be taken to the laboratory for histology.
2. Treat the damaged area with antiseptics and go to the doctor with the torn mole covered with a sterile bandage. The dermatologist will perform all the necessary manipulations and clearly outline a plan for further action.

In what places on the body are nevi injured?

In some areas of the body, moles are most often torn off and damaged, which is explained by their inconvenient location. Such problem areas include:

1. face;
2. collar area and neck;
3. armpits;
4. inguinal cavities and lower abdomen;
5. scalp under the hairline;
6. areas under the mammary glands.

If injury to a nevus in one of these places occurs frequently, the most correct solution would be to remove it. Sometimes patients are also interested in what to do if they have torn off a mole on their back. What to do? Actually, there are no fundamental differences in providing first aid. To properly treat the damaged area, ask someone to help, since it will not be very convenient to treat the wound by touch and apply a bandage.

Be sure to take the mole to the laboratory!

As mentioned above, a detached mole is sent to the laboratory for a histological examination, so under no circumstances should the mole be thrown away. If possible, place it in a saline solution and take it to the clinic. If you don’t have a ready-made solution of sodium chloride at hand, replace it with a weak salt solution (take 1 teaspoon of table salt per 1 liter of boiled water) or alkaline mineral water. Regardless of the results obtained, you need to come to the dermatologist with the conclusion.

Everyone understands that you cannot scratch nevi and try to get rid of them on your own. But if this happens to a hanging mole, and no blood flows from the site of damage, do not rush to run headlong to the doctor. Disinfect the affected area with an antiseptic and apply a bandage for half an hour. If the wound begins to heal in the next few days, you can safely assume that everything turned out okay. But in case of possible changes in the future, continue to monitor the area of ​​​​damage.

An untreated wound after injury to a mole can provoke the development of inflammation due to the penetration of a bacterial infection. This circumstance increases the risk of nevus malignancy, so in most cases doctors insist on removing the mole. Negligence towards your own health can be very expensive, remember this!

How to get rid of a damaged nevus

A torn mole is removed surgically. Today there are several options for solving the problem, each of which has its own pros and cons:

1. The most effective and painless method is laser mole removal. The procedure uses a laser beam that does not affect healthy tissue and prevents bleeding. After laser removal there are usually no scars or scars left. Disadvantages: high cost compared to other types of surgery and the inability to subsequently conduct a histological examination.
2. Cryodestruction of a nevus involves the use of liquid nitrogen, due to which the tissue is frozen and removed. The removal process itself is painless, but if liquid nitrogen gets on healthy tissue, it will leave a burn that will bother you for several more days. Ideal for removing large moles.
3. The electrocoagulation method is the most common method of removing nevi using current. After this procedure, a histological examination is carried out.

Moles on the skin of people are quite common and do not pose any danger. However, there are situations when formations are damaged and bring discomfort to a person. Many people do not know what to do if they rip off a mole and what first aid to administer.

First aid if you rip off a mole

Most often, nevi do not require removal. However, formations that cause discomfort are most often removed with the help of a specialist. However, the mechanical impact of objects or clothing often leads to unintentional damage to the mole. Therefore, you need to know what measures to take if you rip off a mole.

When ripping off a nevus, you should:

1. Stop bleeding. It is important to know that you must use only sterile instruments and materials to prevent infection.
2. For the procedure you need:

1. 
   
   
   
   

   Preparation of saline solution

   Every first aid kit should have saline solution; it is widely used for various rinses and eliminating infections.

   However, if such a medicinal substance is not at home, and the stripped mole must be taken to a medical facility.

   
   
   
   
   

   1. clean the area where the mole was torn off from various contaminants using warm, clean water and a bandage;
   2. moisten a cotton swab with hydrogen peroxide and apply it to the lesion;
      
      
      
      
      1. If the mole is damagedand there is no bleeding, the area should be treated with hydrogen peroxide and iodine applied with a cotton swab.
      2. Treat with iodine daily until the damaged area is completely healed.