To panic about my mole? Pic attached

[cultkid]

Has anyone used the London Dermatology Clinic?
I am panicking so hard right now. I can't call my GP for reassurance, cancer all over my mums side of the family.
The mole has changed over night literally raised up and got darker. I have a baby and a 4 year old I am beside my self

[Osirus]

I’ve not used that clinic but I would certainly get it checked out. Any change is worth getting checked. Hopefully it’s nothing, but it sounds like you’ve been quick in spotting the change.

Some Boots branches offer a mole checking service but I’m not sure if they are still doing this at the moment.

[BritishSleeperAgent]

I wouldn't freak out but I think you should get it checked by a dermatologist.

Speaking as a person so pale you can't see me against a white background, I've had a few moles taken off, it's not a big deal. I've had a few that were "suspicious" but isolated - i.e. there was no spread to the surrounding tissue. But most have been benign.

[Chatons]

Please get it looked at ASAP.

[Fallen27]

I had a mole I had it for years since I was a kid and last year since I had my baby it got bigger, more raised, oddly shaped, rough and itchy whereas before it was small, smooth barely noticeable, at the end of last year it began to fall off and was even more itchier so I went to my GP who froze the mole and gradually over time it fell off, it's not completely away but if it does grow back I'll get it refrozen (not too sure what the actual word was) my mole was on my cheek. If you are in doubt see your GP first if you have one and from there they can help you with what you need to do next.

[Haworthia]

The key thing is not just to get it removed (if you’re advised to do so) but have it tested.

The other week I read about a woman who had a mole removed privately, but it wasn’t tested for cancer. Unfortunately the mole was cancerous and her diagnosis was long delayed as a result.

Try not to panic. If it’s changed literally overnight then I think I’d be less concerned than if it had changed very gradually.

[dontdressme]

Definitely get it checked asap, changes always need to be checked out.

That said, your skin colour puts you at
MUCH lower risk than pale, freckly me. I’ve had a few moles removed and while it’s not ‘fun’, it’s really no big deal.

There’s an app you can try for peace of mind while you’re waiting for an appointment. It’s called SkinVision. I have no affiliation but I believe it’s very reliable. Obviously see a doctor either way

[cultkid]

Thanks all I'm finding these responses comforting
I am definitely getting it checked
I've filled in the online form and attached that photo you've seen to the GP and they will call me back by Tuesday night apparently
I've also booked for it to be removed on the 8th privately but I will insist on a biopsy
I am so scared

[MsMeNz]

Get that checked asap. Go private if you have to private mole skin care checks generally cheap but I suspect that would need to be removed and biopsy which costs more but not too and, I had a skin cancer removed privately for a few hundred. It wasn't a serious one though thankfully I just had it chopped out and jobs a good un. Good luck please let us know how it goes. If you can't go private insist on. A face to face with local gp

[MsMeNz]

Oops must have typed just as you were glad to hear you have an appointment x

[cultkid]

@MsMeNz

Did yours look like mine? I'll get them to take it off in the appointment but they can also do an analysis which I'll get done.
I'm worried that the 8th isn't soon enough x

[WhoWouldHaveThoughtThat]

Oops my mistake, I thought it was about problems with your lawn.

[wavecatcher]

Please don't panic, your being very sensible by getting it checked soon. Just to say every time I've had a child and in pregnancy it effects my moles. I can literally tell I'm pregnant before a test as they are raised and itchy. After having a baby they go strange also then often end up crusting and falling off. I get them checked it just seems to be a pregnancy side effect for me.

[RandomLondoner]

I think you should go NHS, not private. If GP refers you (which I imagine they will) you should see a dermatologist within two weeks. ("Should" meaning that's the NHS target time-frame.)

I went to a GP on a friday morning, saw demertalogist the following week, had mole removed the week after that. I was amazed at how quick NHS was. This was pre-COVID, but I think NHS is trying to get back to normal now, so hopefully COVID won't be a factor.

I say go NHS because it's not just a matter of getting mole removed. If it's cancerous there will be second operation (wider excision) and ongoing appointments/management.

I would and have gone private for cosmetic removals, but this isn't that.

[dontdressme]

I'm worried that the 8th isn't soon enough x

Please don’t panic. I was extremely high risk for various reasons and I still waited about 5 days.

IANAD and all that... with your skin colour and being British (I assume) I’d bet anything that the absolute worst case scenario is basal cell carcinoma. That might sound terrifying but it’s really not. It’s vanishing unlikely to be melanoma.

I hope I’m not making things worse for you by speculating (and not being a doctor); I’m trying to calm you down.

[RandomLondoner]

There is an app called "SkinVision" that is supposed to be as accurate as a dermatologist at diagnosing moles.

[fantasmasgoria1]

I had a 2 week appointment mid lock down turned out to be nothing thankfully but the 2 week pathway is still on track and ok

[vbhafjlb]

Definitely one to get checked (and I’m glad you’re already on top of that!), but try not to panic. Most changes are benign. Can be hormonal (as wavecatcher indicated) or environmental (clothes rubbing and causing irritation, for example) reasons.

I’m a moley person with a crapload of the bastards all over me. OH and some mole-zero friends think they’re ‘cute’ but they’re the bane of my existence with all the monitoring. I had a new one appear on my leg a few months ago (currently looks entirely normal—small, round, even coloured, etc.) that I’m keeping a watchful eye on until I’m sure it’s stable. Have had two removed in the past (both benign).

I know ‘don’t panic’ is easier said than done, but a few days won’t make a difference. Even the fast track referrals are two weeks, and that’s well inside the time frame for when things could progress significantly.

In fact, I’d really advise anyone with mole worries to skip the apps and checking services—I believe they’re more likely to give false positives because they won’t want to risk bad publicity if they give a false negative and someone dies as a result. Best to go straight to GP if you have concerns, where they can check with a dermascope and refer for biopsy.

Well done for being vigilant and acting swiftly OP.

[cultkid]

Thank you all for the support I will have a look at that app xx

[vbhafjlb]

@Haworthia

The key thing is not just to get it removed (if you’re advised to do so) but have it tested.

The other week I read about a woman who had a mole removed privately, but it wasn’t tested for cancer. Unfortunately the mole was cancerous and her diagnosis was long delayed as a result.

Try not to panic. If it’s changed literally overnight then I think I’d be less concerned than if it had changed very gradually.

Just want to say in response to the last paragraph above that very slow, gradual change is entirely normal. It’s normal for new moles to appear, old moles to fade away, and for some very slow changes because we’re living, changing organisms. By very slow, I mean over years.

Rapid change (over a few weeks or a couple of months) needs to be checked out ASAP.

Growing larger than 6mm, becoming jagged and asymmetrical, becoming more elevated, or developing multiple colours are still things that should be seen by a medical professional though, regardless of how long it took to happen. And anything that is an ‘ugly duckling’, i.e. visually stands out from your other moles, should be assessed by a doctor.

But again, most changes and weird moles turn out to be benign or very low risk.

[Lou197]

I have been where you are and you are doing exactly the right thing. You are getting it removed and having a biopsy - and at the moment you could not do more so please try to relax. Please do contact me if you need to.

[cultkid]

@Lou197 how long did the biopsy take
Mine seems to have split slightly in the middle and it's raised when it used to be flush
It's turned black when it was brown

[Lou197]

It took two weeks for the result to come back and that was a private clinic. But the moment it came off I felt better.

[flibbertmygibbert]

To me it looks like you’ve caught it on something in the night. My moles terrify me on a regular basis. Has it bled and formed a crusty top?

[Legoandloldolls]

Try not to panic OP. I have a pale mole that ever few years gets itchy, swells up before crusting over and falling off. Then it very slowly grows back. I think because it's got a double hair growing in it? It could be a aggravated hair or the like. But your already ahead of the game here getting it checked out

[Lickyicelollies]

My dermatopathology is rusty but I was taught that variegation in colour and shape is most concerning and yours looks uniformly round and dark which is reassuring. Still get it checked out though.