Skin moles: what are they?

LaurentSingh

Melanocytic moles, nevi, or nevi are skin growths that develop from melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin, the skin pigment. Although most are round or oval, they can have various shapes and textures and be of various colors: brown, red, black, blue, pink or tan.

They can appear anywhere on the skin and it is normal to have an average of between 10 and 40 moles that form before the age of 50. Some may disappear and others grow and darken with hormonal changes. The usual thing is that moles are innocuous but they must always be watched for their change in shape, size and color to prevent a possible case of melanoma.