Traumatized a mole until it bled

Sometimes moles are mistakenly considered to be neoplasms that are viral or other in nature. True moles or nevi are slightly raised areas of dark brown pigmented skin. It is they, if damaged, that can cause the development of a dangerous disease - skin cancer or melanoma, read more about it in the article "Skin cancer: melanoma." This disease very often progresses without being noticed, and is practically untreatable in its later stages.

Signs of melanoma development after damage to a mole

Suspicions of the development of skin cancer caused by damage to the nevus should cause the following symptoms:

1. pain in the injured area that does not go away for a long time;
2. itching and development of the inflammatory process, more about this is written in the article “A mole itches and peels. What to do?”;
3. hair loss in the area of ​​the mole;
4. change in skin color around the nevus;
5. formation of nodules;
6. growth of a mole, read about why this happens in the article “Why does a mole grow? What to do?”

Consequences of damage to a mole-angioma

This type of skin neoplasm appears due to impaired permeability and decreased tone of the walls of blood vessels and has a dark cherry or bluish color. An angioma can be oval in shape and slightly rise above the level of healthy skin, or it can be a large birthmark. Since the tissues in the area of ​​this neoplasm are saturated with blood vessels and capillaries, any damage entails heavy bleeding. After injury, angiomas heal quickly without any negative consequences, since these neoplasms are benign in nature and do not provoke the development of oncological processes.

Consequences of damage to a mole-papilloma

Papillomas are infectious and viral in nature and are not essentially moles. Since these new growths practically do not differ in color from healthy skin, but clearly rise above it, they are very easy to damage or tear off. Injury to papilloma is accompanied by painful sensations, since these neoplasms cover the nerve endings in the skin, but bleeding is rarely intense. Damage to the papilloma will not lead to the development of skin cancer, but it can lead to the spread of infection to healthy skin and the growth of tumors.

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Regardless of which mole you damaged or tore off, you need to carry out a number of manipulations:

1. If there is bleeding, stop the bleeding by applying a compression bandage.

2. Disinfect the injured area with alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or other antiseptic agent.

3. Consult a doctor to examine the damaged tumor and clarify the nature of its origin. If the mole is completely torn off, it is advisable to save a piece of tissue and transfer it to the laboratory for research as soon as possible.

In general, the idea that damage to a mole will certainly lead to the development of cancer is greatly exaggerated. Not every skin tumor is malignant or can turn into melanoma under the influence of external factors. However, if the integrity of this area is violated, you should be vigilant and seek medical advice. If melanoma is suspected, you will be recommended a diagnostic examination that will help exclude or confirm the presence of an oncological process and take appropriate measures in a timely manner.

Removal of tumors at Lazmed Clinic

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Although in some cases damage to a mole can cause serious problems, this probability is quite low, so there is no need to panic in advance (but you shouldn’t leave things to chance either). What to do if you damage a mole and whether this will lead to the degeneration of the mole into a malignant neoplasm, a qualified doctor will explain to you, whom you should contact as soon as possible.

Is damaging a mole dangerous?

Flat nevi are cellular clusters with a high concentration of pigment in them - melanin, and convex nevi are benign tumors that do not threaten health, but only if they are not injured. And if the nevus is damaged or completely ruptured, problems may arise. There is a high probability that the cells of the mole will change their structure, turning into atypical ones, after which they will multiply much faster. The risk of subsequent development of skin cancer (melanoma) increases several times.

But this is only one of the possible options when a nevus is damaged - not in all cases its injury leads to such bad consequences, sometimes everything ends well. A mole that has been slightly injured simply heals and no longer gives cause for concern, and sometimes a new benign nevus grows in place of the torn one. But this is only possible when proper first aid is provided after the injury, for which you should consult a doctor.

Is it dangerous to damage a mole when shaving?

Damage to a mole when shaving can lead to the following consequences: deformation of the nevus itself, as well as damage to the skin. In addition, there is pain at the site of the cut, and in some cases bleeding from the wound may occur.

Later, the wound heals and the person forgets about what happened, but it is at this stage that one should carefully monitor the behavior of the mole. It is necessary to monitor whether changes have appeared in its shape, structure, etc., since a cut in the nevus can cause its subsequent degeneration into a malignant formation.

Consequences of damage to a mole

Damage to the nevus is one of the most common factors in the development of skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and melanoma. In the event of a mechanical injury, a benign tumor can transform into a malignant one, so if you damage a mole, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. To avoid the consequences of damage to a mole, you must follow all the doctor’s recommendations.

Redness around the nevus usually appears due to an inflammatory process and in most cases is not a dangerous signal for health. But when it does not go away after several days, you should consult a doctor - this may be a symptom of some complication.

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Which doctor should I contact if I damage a mole?

Nevi are formations that appear as a result of pigmentation of skin cells, so to examine them, you must first contact a dermatologist. He treats skin diseases, performs examination (primary visual, using a dermascope) and diagnostics. After this, if necessary, the dermatologist determines which specialist should be contacted for further treatment.

If the examination does not reveal any danger in the development of nevi (there is no threat of melanoma), the patient can monitor them independently, consulting a doctor only if such a need arises. But if a dermatologist determines that a mole poses a health hazard, the patient is immediately referred to other doctors - a surgeon, dermatologist-cosmetologist, oncologist-mammologist or oncodermatologist.

Treatment of a damaged mole

To prevent infection from entering the wound, you need to immediately treat it with any antiseptic solution and stop the bleeding if it appears. A completely severed nevus should be submitted to a surgeon for histology (to determine the nature of the formation). In other cases, after the mole has healed, you need to periodically examine it for any changes - this will allow you to promptly notice a possible degeneration into melanoma and prevent its development at the initial stage.

If you damage a mole to the point of bleeding, you should immediately stop the bleeding and disinfect the wound. To perform this procedure, you need a clean bandage, as well as a disinfectant - a solution of chlorhexidine (0.5% concentration) and hydrogen peroxide (3% concentration).

The damaged mole should be washed with peroxide (as much as possible) - to do this, use a bandage, making a compress out of it, soaked in the solution. You should keep it on the wound for at least 15 minutes - during this time the bleeding should stop. In addition to stopping blood, peroxide also has an antiseptic effect.

After this, the damaged area should be washed with chlorhexidine. This antiseptic is more effective and its effect lasts longer than the effect of peroxide. After stopping the bleeding, treat the wound with a bandage previously soaked in chlorhexidine. If this solution is not available, you can replace it with iodine (smear the edges of the wound with it). Next, you need to apply a sterile bandage to the mole and secure it with a sterile plaster.

You should then consult a doctor to get an objective assessment of the damage. The specialist will also give advice on whether the damaged mole needs to be removed.

If damaged, lubricate the injured area with a solution of hydrogen peroxide. This will prevent infection from getting into the wound.

Doctors' advice

What to do if you damage a mole? In general, normal damage to the integrity of the nevus is not dangerous in itself, but in order to avoid unpleasant complications, this case should be treated carefully. If you notice that the damaged mole has begun to cause discomfort, has begun to increase in size, and a tumor has appeared at the site of the damage, you should go to the doctor as soon as possible. To prevent the development of undesirable consequences, you can use the advice of doctors:

1. If severe itching occurs in the area of ​​the nevus, do not under any circumstances try to cauterize it with alcohol. A dermatologist should be consulted;
2. If the shape or size of a mole changes, you need to visit a surgeon to remove it;
3. If bleeding, inflammation or a change in color of the nevus occurs, you should immediately visit an oncologist.

It is important to know!

Since time immemorial, people have associated the appearance of birthmarks with something mystical. It was believed that this was a sign from above, indicating the direction of a person’s destiny. They have tried to decipher the meaning of a birthmark for many centuries.

Damage to a mole is a fairly common situation. Often moles appear in open places, where they are subject to friction and trauma. So, from this article you will learn about what to do if you damage or scratch a mole until it bleeds.

A little about moles

In order to understand what will happen if you squeeze out a mole or have any other damaging effect on it, you need to understand what structures such as nevi are. In fact, moles are benign epidermal neoplasms that consist of cells containing an excess amount of the natural pigment melanin. The formation of such structures can be caused by various endogenous and external factors, ranging from hormonal imbalances to ultraviolet exposure.

Most often, nevi appear on the human body in childhood, but it is possible that they form in adulthood, which can be both a manifestation of a physiological norm and a signal of the development of a pathological process, including oncology. In general, moles of any location and visual characteristics are often associated with cancer processes, which, of course, has some basis. Dermatologists say that under the influence of certain accompanying factors, almost any mole can transform into melanoma - a dangerous oncological condition of the epidermal integument. One of these dangerous factors is the traumatic effect of the nevus on the body.

There are several types of nevi, each of which has an individual level of risk of injury:

1. Flat moles. Visually, such pigmented structures do not protrude above the surface of the epidermal integument, which significantly reduces the likelihood of mechanical damage to this type of nevus.
2. Convex moles. Protruding beyond the boundaries of the surface layer of the epidermis, convex formations are often subject to traumatic effects due to contact with tight clothing, shoes and accessories (jewelry, belts, etc.), as well as during the process of washing, combing or performing any physical work.
3. Hanging moles. These neoplasms are more often subject to injury than others due to their morphological characteristics.

The last two groups of nevi require especially careful handling and constant monitoring. In addition, the risk group, whose representatives are more likely to experience damage to epidermal nevi, usually includes women and children. The former lead such statistics due to their adherence to tight, uncomfortable clothing and rough accessories that can injure the body of the mole, as well as due to the peculiarities of manicure. Children rip off or tear off moles most often unconsciously, during play.

It is also worth carefully examining the mole: if it is torn off, then this is the cause of the bleeding. However, it may be that there is no injury. In this case, the mole is either slightly scratched or torn off only on one edge, or the situation is even more complicated. There is a possibility that the mole has become inflamed and dead, causing bleeding. One way or another, in any case, the reason for the opening of bleeding from a mole is necessary to consult a specialist. There is no need to be afraid, because... Neither the collection of analyzes of a mole, nor the procedure for removing a mole if necessary (and it is usually prescribed) does not cause difficulties or pain.

Why can blood bleed from a mole?

If everything is in order with moles, then they do not grow and do not change their appearance or color. But if a mole becomes engorged or begins to bleed, this is a very bad sign. A healthy mole will not bleed, so if you are bleeding from a nevus, it means the mole is injured.

There can be several reasons for a mole injury:

1. You could accidentally tear off a mole partially or completely,
2. You may have rubbed the area where the mole is located excessively and touched it,
3. While getting dressed and getting ready, you might have touched a mole,
4. Parents, while playing with their children, may not notice how the mole has suffered and begun to bleed.

In fact, there is only one reason for bleeding from a mole - your inattention to the nevus. Any mole requires care; you should always avoid moles when bathing and taking care of your body. In addition, a mole can be slightly or severely injured: with the second option, blood begins to come out of it, with the first, there may be no blood, but you should consult a doctor in any case.

Is mole injury really dangerous?

Clinical studies have shown that in 30-50% of cases, the development of melanoma is preceded by injury to a pigmented nevus (mole). Some authors consider their results controversial, but the discussion, in my opinion, is too early to consider closed.

The figure is frightening, but let's try to calculate the real probability of getting melanoma for a resident of, for example, St. Petersburg. Population of the Northern Capital for 2016 is 5,222,347 people. Melanoma in our city affects about 800 people a year. Using simple calculations, we find that the probability of this disease for a resident of St. Petersburg is 0.00015%. If we remember that no more than 50% of melanomas develop after trauma to a mole, then we divide this figure by 2.

In total, for a resident of St. Petersburg, the probability of developing melanoma after trauma to a mole is approximately 0.000075%.
I am sure that this figure is too small to worry about your life after you have ripped off a mole.

Symptoms of a violation of the natural state of a mole

Today, there are several of the most common symptoms of a violation of the general condition of the red growth. If you notice that:

1. The skin has jagged edges around the mole
2. There is some asymmetry in shape
3. The color of the mole has changed
4. The sizes have become slightly larger

If pain or a feeling of discomfort appears, it is urgent to take appropriate measures aimed at establishing the cause and further treating the phenomenon on the skin. Trying to treat small red moles on your own is inappropriate, since self-medication procedures can cause significant harm to the body through the introduction of intermittent infectious diseases or, God forbid, the formation of malignant tumors.

It is for this reason that every patient, if possible, should visit a specialist on these issues, since in modern medicine such problems can be solved by several available methods:

1. Electricity
2. Cauterization
3. Laser removal
4. "Knife Radio"

Together with any of the methods described above, the patient will be able to get rid of an unpleasant growth on the skin and completely eliminate the pain that torments him if the mole begins to turn red and bleed.

Injury to a mole: consequences

First of all, it should be noted that the development of melanoma is not always associated with damage to pigmented nevi and will not necessarily be a consequence of such a process. At the same time, doctors have proven that for moles that are initially classified as melanoma-hazardous, any trauma to their surface can lead to accelerated development of the cancer process. This is one of the main reasons why any nevi should be protected from aggressive damaging influences.

In addition to malignant transformation, we can identify several more unpleasant and dangerous consequences that a torn or torn off mole can entail:

1. Heavy bleeding. The body of the nevus feeds many blood vessels and capillaries, which saturate the formation cells with oxygen and nutrients. Some moles, such as angiomas and hemangiomas, are composed entirely of a tangle of blood channels. It is in this regard that if a mole is damaged, severe bleeding can develop, which can most often be stopped only with the help of professional medical care. After visible healing, the mole often bleeds for a long time, which is a residual consequence of the injury.
2. Attachment of infection. An open wound that forms at the site of a damaged nevus provides rapid access for infectious agents to the wound surface and, accordingly, to the entire patient’s body. As a result, not only a local infectious process can develop, but also a generalized pathological condition, accompanied by suppuration of the primary site of contamination.
3. Inflammatory process. Often after mechanical trauma to a nevus, patients note swelling of the area around the mole and some hyperemia of the skin. This, together with pain when pressed, may indicate the development of inflammation. Such a reaction is sometimes accompanied by vasospasm, which is manifested by the appearance of a white spot around the torn mole. In the absence of professional medical care, such a process can also lead to suppuration of the wound.
4. Formation of scars and scars. This aspect is especially concerning for the fair sex, because a situation where a woman scratches a mole on her face with a massive accessory or manicure is not uncommon. The consequence of such a careless attitude towards a nevus can be an undesirable aesthetic defect, which is formed against the background of excessive formation of connective tissue. In the future, such scars and scars can only be removed using hardware cosmetology techniques.

In order to avoid all these unpleasant phenomena, it is recommended to treat existing moles with care and attention and remove a defect located in an area of ​​increased risk of injury in advance.

What to do if a mole is torn off or cut off

Treat the wound with a solution of any antiseptic except iodine. I can recommend chlorhexidine - it costs little money and is available in any pharmacy.

What will happen to the mole next?

After trauma, as in any other place, the mole will hurt a little and turn slightly red - this is normal. Gradually, after 2-3 weeks, these phenomena should go away on their own.

This means that if after a few days a viscous white (not yellow) liquid begins to come out from the site of injury, you need to be examined by a surgeon. After 1-2 days, a crust will appear at the site of the injury, which will fall off on its own after 1-2 weeks.

How to stop bleeding from a mole

If you encounter such a problem when bleeding comes from a mole, do not be alarmed, this happens quite often. This, of course, is not fatal if you can take all the necessary measures in time. Here's what you should remember to avoid problems with your mole:

1. First of all, you should not be afraid of doctors - regularly check your moles with a specialist,
2. At home, monitor nevi, their growth, check for pain when feeling moles,
3. Always keep cotton pads or cotton wool, a sterile bandage or gauze, as well as 3% hydrogen peroxide, which can be found in any pharmacy, in your first aid kit.

It is worth noting separately for women how important it is to be careful with their moles. The fact is that it is women who complain: “I touched a mole and started bleeding.” And moles are most often touched by long nails, handbags, stylish t-shirts with spikes, etc. So if you have dangerous and hanging moles, try to remember them if you don’t want to forever give up on something that can damage nevi.

But how to get rid of bleeding from a mole if it was not possible to protect delicate moles? To begin with, you should leave panic at the door and turn on your consciousness:

1. Get out your first aid kit;
2. You will need cotton wool, a bandage and hydrogen peroxide 3%;
3. Soak cotton wool in 3% hydrogen peroxide and cauterize the bleeding area on the skin;
4. Fold a sterile bandage into 2-3 layers and apply to the mole;
5. Leave the bandage on the injured area of ​​skin for 10-15 minutes until the bleeding stops. The bandage can be held by hand or secured well by tying it around the injury.

After you have done everything necessary, contact a medical facility for qualified help, explaining to the doctor what happened to you.

Should I see a doctor if a mole bleeds?

If you are bleeding from a mole, then you need to see a doctor! If a mole bleeds blood, then something is wrong with it. When blood starts coming from the ear, everyone goes to the doctor, but why should moles be an exception? On the contrary, bleeding from a mole is a call to visit a specialist as soon as possible.

If you often notice that you touch a mole, that it interferes and creates discomfort because of this, then such a mole must be removed, preventing it from starting to bleed. If blood is already flowing and the mole is torn off or simply injured, then most likely your doctor will advise you to remove it in order to prevent the development of a malignant tumor. The risk of such a development is small, but it always creeps up unnoticed, so it is worth insuring yourself against difficulties. In addition, if you remove the disturbing mole, you will be able to feel more confident and calm, because... you will know that this problematic mole will no longer cause trouble.

In general, when visiting a doctor with a complaint such as bleeding from a mole, the patient will take a stripped mole or part of it for tests to find out whether the mole is dangerous and whether it will cause the development of skin cancer. Depending on the diagnosis, the doctor will decide whether to remove the mole. But, if it bothers you and you tore it off, then of course it would be better for you personally and your convenience to remove it.

Why else should you see a doctor if a mole bleeds? The fact is that you can stop the bleeding and even calm down after this or even not pay attention to what happened. However, a mole you pick off can trigger a long or rapid process of the transformation of a benign mole into a malignant tumor. For this reason, it is important to get tested to understand what you have torn off - a simple and harmless mole or melanoma (malignant tumor).

It happens that a mole is torn off not with one’s own hands, but during children’s games with each other or with animals. In this case, it is even more important to contact a specialist, because during this, an infection could be introduced to the injury site, which should be removed and eradicated as soon as possible.

I think no. Any changes in the mole will not be noticeable until six months or at least several months.
Usually, after a mole has been traumatized, I recommend regularly monitoring it independently for 6 months. If any changes appear during this period (enlargement, change in color, color or shape, bleeding), you must immediately see an oncologist. At the same time, I urge you to remember the probability of developing melanoma after a mole injury for a resident of St. Petersburg is 0.000075%.

Doctors' advice: what to do if you rip off a mole

Most people, due to many myths and lack of awareness, not knowing what to do if they scratch a mole, fall into panic. In fact, most undesirable consequences can be avoided by correctly and timely responding to such damage to the surface of the nevus. Here are the recommendations of experts on what to do if you rip off a mole:

1. Stop the bleeding. This point is not always easy to complete, due to the localization of many blood vessels in the area of ​​moles. The best way to deal with bleeding is to apply a cotton swab soaked in hydrogen peroxide to the wound surface for 10-15 minutes. All this time it is necessary to press such a bandage to the injured mole.
2. We disinfect the wound. To eliminate the risk of concomitant infections, you should treat the wound surface with alcohol or a solution of brilliant green as quickly as possible.
3. Consultation with a specialist. After carrying out the initial measures, the torn mole must be shown to a doctor, who will determine the need for removal or further control of the damaged area.
4. Save the torn part of the mole. If the torn nevus tissues have separated from the skin, they must be preserved and submitted for histological analysis, which will significantly simplify the doctor’s work from a diagnostic point of view.

How to properly monitor a mole after injury

To objectively track changes in a mole, you can take a photograph of it against the background of a ruler and compare the original image with subsequent ones. In order for the photo to be of high quality and comparison possible, the following rules must be observed:

1. The photo must be taken with a camera, not a phone.
2. The photo should not be a “selfie”. In such photographs, the mole is usually out of focus.
3. A light source or camera flash should be directed at the mole.