Changing mole

[cleareyes]

I had a mole that has been there for as long as I remember. Slightly raised but flush enough to the skin to never notice. Until a few days ago when my hand brushed past and it felt sharp. On closer examination it is more raised, one side slight 'coming away' and feels hard and crusty. It also now has dark black spots on it that were not there before.

I'd say it's roughly 0.5cm in size but I don't think has gotten bigger.

Anyway I saw my gp today who took a picture of it on a special camera. And said she doesn't think it's anything to worry about and that was that.

Isn't it? Even if it's still symmetrical as she pointed out- isn't the issue that it's changed?

Do I accept this or do I need a second opinion. Trying not to worry but everything I read says they are warning signs and it should be checked by a dermatologist?

My understanding with the camera is that the picture gets sent to specialist who confirms whether it needs investigation further and they get result instantly. If you want it looked at further, do you have any skin clinics nearby, they would be able to check it over.

Australian here - I can understand your apprehension. Unless you have a GP who has a dermatology / skin cancer expertise, I can understand why you are not feeling hugely confident in the answer. As @Mindymomo said, there are databases of skin lesions which doctors use to aid diagnosis - my skin doctor uses one. If your GP is also using one of these, her diagnosis may be less unreliable than you first thought. However, I'd probably get a second opinion from a dermatologist or skin cancer specialist, so that you have proper peace of mind. They can also do a full body check at the same time, which will be useful to track any skin changes in the future.

Hi op, can I ask if you have an update on this?