?">Moles are basically a skin disease typical to youth, but moles may occur to the people at any age. The great majority of moles are harmless, but in rare cases, moles may become cancerous. Moles can be flat or raised. They are generally in round or oval and smaller than a pencil eraser in shape. Most people have between 10 and 40 of these flesh-colored, pink, tan, or brown areas on the skin. New moles can appear into mid-adulthood, and because moles last about 50 years, some moles may disappear as you age. Monitoring moles and other pigmented patches is an important step in the diagnosis of skin cancer, especially malignant melanoma. Although not all melanomas develop from pre-existing moles, many begin in or near a mole or other dark spot on the skin.

Moles are overgrowths of the skin's pigment cells (melanocytes).  A mole (or melanocytic naevus) is an abnormal collection of pigment cells present within the skin. These cells are known as melanocytes. 

?"> Causes of Moles

Melanin is a natural pigment that gives your skin its color. It's produced in cells called melanocytes, either in the top layer of the skin (epidermis) or the outer layers of the skin's second layer (dermis). Melanin is then transported to the surface cells of your skin. Normally, melanin is distributed evenly.
Moles are skin pigmentations and become darker when exposed to the sun. Moles also appear because of hormonal changes caused by adolescence or pregnancy.

 The strong UV rays of the sun can accumulate in the skin from early life to present contribute to the development of  the most serious form of skin cancer known as malignant melanoma.  Tanning salons and sun beds may also contribute to the growth of moles. Malignant melanoma should be suspected when moles on the skin change in size or characteristics. Every person should be aware if the skin color varies if there is more than one color. The typical mole should be not larger than 6 mm in size. The border of the moles should be smooth and not rugged edge.

Methods for Treating Moles are:

1) Generally mole are harmless and safe to ignore and do not require treatment.  However, any mole which appears to grow in size, has varying colors, has an irregular border, or starts bleeding should be checked by a health professional or a dermatologist.

 2) Wearing a sunscreen and limiting sun exposure may prevent some moles 

3) Shave excision. In this method, your doctor numbs the area around a mole and then uses a small blade to shave off the mole close to your skin.

4) Punch biopsy. Your doctor may remove a mole with a small incision or punch biopsy technique, which uses a small cookie-cutter-like device.

5) Excisional surgery. Mole and a surrounding margin of healthy skin are surgically excised.