What to do and what will happen if a mole bursts or a nevus is torn off

Protect yourself from skin cancer.

Run to the doctor immediately and remove the damaged birthmark.

Some articles on the Internet greet readers with approximately the same advice. After them, you get the feeling that it is almost impossible to live peacefully into old age - there are too many mortal threats around.

Fortunately, the danger of damaged moles or nevi is greatly exaggerated.

Yes, they can cause unpleasant consequences. However, many people have encountered this phenomenon not for the first time and are still alive and well.

Why do moles get injured?

For different reasons. Sometimes they are accidentally cut off while shaving or damaged when dropped. Children are especially often troubled by neoplasms. They just love to scribble them. Or even tear it off.

Sometimes nevi rub against clothing or shoes - changing clothes or removing moles helps prevent this.

A myth has taken root in popular culture - scratched nevi turn into cancerous tumors. How truthful is he?

Malignant neoplasm is one of the possible consequences of an injured mole. But there is no evidence yet that these phenomena are directly related.

Sometimes a damaged nevus degenerates. However, why does this happen?

Did the injury trigger the process of an ominous transformation, or was the birthmark already potentially dangerous?

So far no one has answered these questions.

Is it necessary to remove an injured mole?

No. At least until a complete examination by a dermatologist, only a doctor can diagnose a malignant neoplasm.

Another point refutes the mythical danger of damaged nevi - doctors often take part of the tumor for examination. This test is called a biopsy. It is doubtful that doctors deliberately lead patients into a cancer trap for the sake of an accurate diagnosis.

Now let's move on to practical issues.

What to do if you have injured a mole?

So, damage could not be avoided. A bleeding wound appeared at the site of the tumor, which should not be left just like that.

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

Don't worry. It is easy to care for, and you will not need rare and expensive medications.

First you need to protect the wound from infection. Treat the neoplasm with an antiseptic. Chlorhexidine is best suited - it is a cheap remedy that is available in any pharmacy.

But we do not recommend smearing wounds with iodine. In this case, you will not be able to notice signs of possible inflammation.

Now about more severe cases.

What to do if you injured a mole until it bled?

Soak gauze or a piece of cotton wool in hydrogen peroxide and then apply it to the wound. This will stop the bleeding. Then you can fix the cotton wool with bandages or adhesive tape. This will prevent infection.

Other means will also help you.

How else can I treat an injured mole?

After disinfecting the wound, care must be taken to ensure that it heals properly. This will take more than one week. Usually the damage heals in about 20 days.

Which ointment is suitable for treating an injured mole?

To quickly restore the skin, use zinc ointment or calendula tincture, which disinfect, relieve inflammation and dry the wound.

Do you need a doctor's help?

You can easily heal a small wound on a nevus. First of all, it is important to prevent infection, and then the damage will heal without complications.

But then you can go to the doctor. Just in case.

It is not immediately clear in all cases why the tumor was injured - sometimes people only notice a bleeding wound. Then it’s worth taking a closer look at the damaged nevus.

Some injuries are caused only by strong friction or pressure, but others occur even with mild contact. This usually indicates the degeneration of a mole.

An examination will help to detect a cancer threat in time.

Not all your actions will be uniquely beneficial for the damaged tumors - some actions will only worsen the condition of the mole. Next we will present the Top 3 dangerous actions when nevi are injured.

What should not be done if a mole is injured, torn off or cut off?

So, the injured mole needs help. Unfortunately, she doesn't always get it - some people follow the wrong advice from the Internet, while others make their own mistakes.

Here are three common mistakes:

1. Lack of wound care

Yes, sometimes carriers of damaged nevi simply hope that the tumor will heal on its own. There are not many of them. But there is a group of people who are accustomed to turning a blind eye to “light scratches.” Neglecting injuries can lead to blood poisoning. It is a rarity. But it happens.

2. Self-medication

This mistake usually does not lead to serious consequences. In most patients, moles heal safely and do not degenerate. But it also happens differently. Injured tumors rapidly mutate into insidious cancerous tumors that attack healthy tissue.

3. Removal of nevi before examination

Some people want to quickly get rid of bleeding, damaged moles. They are not interested in what caused the injury. Are these neoplasms dangerous or not? They run to the nearest beauty salon and demand that the nevi be urgently cut off or burned. Because of this, doctors do not detect skin cancer on time.

One more thing - do not take the word for everything that is written on the Internet on the problem that interests you. Even us.

Many continue to spread mythical information about the threat of traumatized tumors. It is also important to take into account differences between patients. In one person, the doctor will identify a precancerous tumor, while in another, all moles will turn out to be harmless. So your situation may be different from other people's examples. And radically.

If you have injured a mole to the point of bleeding, then first of all rely on the opinion of your doctor, and not on the advice of strangers who have not seen your nevi.

From the description of errors we return to wounded neoplasms. What problems do they cause?

Prevention measures

If a man has a raised mole on his face, which is constantly at risk of cuts and injuries, preventive measures must be taken. You should not delay this and underestimate the danger of damage to the nevus, since almost every man is at risk of developing melanoma. To protect moles from cuts and scratches you should:

reduce contact with animals that can scratch the mole;
if there are raised moles on the face and body, it is advisable to remove them with the hands of a specialist;
avoid friction with synthetic fabrics;
protect moles from contact with nails;
Shave your face carefully;
avoid prolonged direct exposure to sunlight;
Avoid squeezing moles with shoes if they are on your feet.

But the most competent step to prevent melanoma is to consult a dermatologist and remove the nevus with melanin. Especially if the mole is on the face of a man who regularly shaves his stubble, the risks of injury are as high as possible.

What will happen next to the injured mole?

Any wound on a nevus or on regular skin will not disappear overnight. It will hurt a little and turn red, that is, inflamed. This cannot be avoided.

However, other unpleasant symptoms rarely appear.

Recommended actions:

Disinfect the wound
Stop the bleeding
Wait for healing

The wound heals on average in two to three weeks.

What to do if an injured mole festers and hurts?

In this case, you may need the help of a doctor, because the appearance of pus from the wound may indicate complications.

Without them, the skin heals according to the standard scenario:

In two days a protective crust grows
Within two weeks the crust disappears
In three weeks the wound disappears

It is very easy to recognize what an injured mole looks like. It is difficult to find a person who has never received scratches, bruises or other injuries in his life. They look the same on nevi. The protective crust on the new growths is clearly visible.

Although you can identify a wounded mole at home, to identify signs of degeneration you need the help of a doctor.

Tell me, is there a reliable way to protect your skin from the sun?

- The best way to protect your skin —

Use sunscreen with sun protection factor (SPF).

Unfortunately, the sunscreen properties of a cream directly depend on its price. The higher the price —

the better the quality of the cream.

Different SPF creams have different levels of sun protection. For the average person who is not predisposed to developing melanoma, SPF 50 cream is suitable.

High-risk fair-skinned, fair-haired and red-haired people need a higher SPF —

100.

Should I see a doctor? If yes, which one?

We have already spoken about the examination at the clinic. To be on the safe side, it's better to go.

When should I make an appointment?

There is no need to rush here - at least wait for the wound to heal and only then contact a doctor. In about three weeks.

All this time, the wound is covered with a protective crust, which interferes with diagnosis.

What to do if an injured mole takes a long time to heal?

It's important to know why. If the wound is suppurating, do not wait three weeks and immediately make an appointment with a surgeon.

Sometimes the skin just heals slowly. Due to the characteristics of the body. In this case, wait for complete recovery, and then show the healed nevus to the doctor.

Which doctor should I make an appointment with?

We have already talked about complications due to injury - this will require a visit to a surgeon. But a dermatologist checks for skin cancer. He specializes in skin diseases and identifies signs of degeneration in any tumors.

See a dermatologist if the injured mole increases in size. The growth of nevi is a dangerous sign. Large tumors are more likely to turn into cancer.

Unfortunately, the enlargement of a mole is not always noticeable.

It needs to be checked regularly.

Causes of possible nevus pathology

Benign neoplasms can become dangerous for a number of reasons:

thermal and chemical burns, including sunburn;
mechanical injuries - falls, blows, injections, scratches, scratching, rubbing with linen, clothes and shoes;
regular pulling out hairs from the nevus;
cut or complete cutting while shaving;
use of low-quality cosmetics, scrubs;
unjustified, unqualified tissue sampling for biopsy;
inadequate treatment both independently and from inexperienced cosmetologists and dermatologists.

Increased trauma spreads to several areas:

hairy;
facial;
cervical;
axillary;
under the breasts in women;
inguinal;
feet

If one or more moles are in the area of regular negative influence, it is better to decide on removal.

It is very dangerous if the melanoma has been injured. It is not always recognized by the inexperienced eye, but it metastasizes to organs without showing external signs. Without proper treatment, a sad outcome can occur within 6 months.

How to properly monitor a mole after an injury?

Nothing complicated.

Just take a photo of the new growth every day.

Place a ruler next to it. This way you will know what to look for to estimate the size of the growth.

Constant observation is very useful if an injured mole does not heal for a long time.

It helps make a diagnosis. At your appointment, show the doctor how the tumor has changed and over how long.

How to photograph a nevus?

We recommend using a camera that will allow you to take high-quality photographs. Any changes are clearly visible on them. It's difficult to take photos like this with a phone camera.

We sorted out the observation.

What about the timing of treatment for damaged tumors?

Is it necessary to urgently remove a mole after an injury?

We repeat - hasty surgery is harmful. If you immediately remove an injured mole, you may miss the signs of a cancerous tumor.

It is very dangerous.

Imagine - a person got rid of a damaged nevus and believes that the problems are behind them. And now my health is deteriorating. He goes to the doctor, spends time and money on all sorts of tests, and then finds out that skin cancer has metastasized. A malignant removed mole managed to leave deadly gifts in the body.

Remember - any tumors, healthy or injured, cannot be removed without preparation. That is, first get examined. Get an accurate diagnosis. And only then sign up for the elimination of an irritating or dangerous nevus.

Diagnostics also helps determine the degree of threat of suspicious growths.

When should a nevus be removed?

Only a doctor determines the degree of importance of removing a nevus, so it is difficult to say unambiguously whether it needs to be removed in a particular case. In addition, most people do not pay attention to moles until they begin to cause discomfort. You need to pay attention if moles have a rich pigment, protrude excessively above the skin or even hang down.

Important!

In general, removing moles without good reason is not recommended by doctors. There is an opinion that moles protect a person from the negative effects of the external environment.

You need to examine moles when they are bright in color, occupy a decent area on the skin and are accompanied by increased hair growth. Experts advise removing those moles that are in constant friction and contact with objects. For example, moles on the face of a man who shaves, on the neck, in the waist area or on the lower extremities in the foot area.

What to do if an injured mole does not heal?

We have already touched on this issue.

If the tumor is simply healing slowly, and there are no signs of suppuration, then it is better to wait a little longer. For some, wounds heal at a slower rate. There is no way to know in advance how quickly a wound will disappear.

Usually in two to three weeks.

But these are average terms. Sometimes an injured mole heals for a long time without the influence of external factors. In other cases, it occurs due to certain diseases.

After three weeks, go to the doctor with an unhealed wound - at least he will determine the reason for the slow recovery of the skin. At the same time, he will check the growth for signs of cancer.

Finally, let's talk about choosing a medical center.

How to help a child with a nevus injury

A newborn is born with moles and gradually continues to become covered with pinpoint pigmentation. Therefore, it is very important that adults keep an eye on the safety and appearance of neoplasms in an unintelligent baby. Older children need to be given an explanation as early as possible, in an intelligible form, without frightening them: moles cannot be touched, they take a long and painful time to heal.

However, there is no guarantee that the child will not have a nevus torn off, for example, during contact games with other children. He may pick at the mole or scratch it while he sleeps.

When a baby picks out a nevus, he is given the same first aid at home as adults. The child is shown to the doctor immediately, without delaying until tomorrow. It is important to provide the fallen biomaterial for melanoma research. The surgeon decides on surgical or conservative treatment. Removal of the torn formation or its remains is almost painless. In mild cases, the doctor prescribes medication with antiseptic and anti-inflammatory drugs and recommends careful hygiene.

Diagnosis of suspicious moles in 30 minutes by dermatologists at the Lasersvit clinic

Now in many institutions it is possible to check and eliminate nevi. They are removed even in beauty salons. And the procedure is performed cheaply and quickly.

Isn't it great?

Unfortunately, no - the employees of such salons are usually focused on removal and have little interest in checking moles. As a result, they may miss signs of cancer.

To diagnose tumors, you need to contact trusted medical centers with experienced doctors.

Therefore, we recommend visiting the Lasersvit clinic.

Dermatologists with experience of 10 years or more work here. Doctors of the first and highest categories. They have seen over 50,000 patients in their careers and easily recognize the signs of malignant tumors.

However, experience does not always help. Then the Delta 20 T dermatoscope comes to the aid of doctors - it magnifies the image of nevi 16 times. With this tool, dermatologists reveal the secrets of the most insidious moles in just half an hour.

Our specialists eliminate tumors with laser. Here you can get rid of birthmarks, papillomas and other growths.

Come to Lazersweet and say goodbye to uncomfortable, ugly and dangerous moles forever without scars or pain.

The examination and removal will be carried out by the country's leading dermatologists

They were trained abroad and have already examined more than 50,000 patients

Gavrilenko Inna Eduardovna

Dermatologist of the highest category, pediatrician. Head of the dermatology department.

Specialty: dermatology.

Work experience: 27 years

Education: Kharkov Medical Institute, 1990

Treatment of diseases: Diagnosis, treatment and removal of skin tumors (warts, papillomas, condylomas, moles, molluscum contagiosum, hemangiomas, spider veins, pigmentation), treatment of chronic skin diseases (psoriasis, eczema, atopic dermatitis), skin infections (pyoderma, fungal diseases ), grinding, removal of tattoos, permanent makeup.

Belskaya Elena Alexandrovna

Dermatologist, pediatric dermatologist of the second category.

Specialty: General Medicine.

Work experience: 14 years.

Education: Kharkov State Medical University 2003

Krasiy Irina Nikolaevna

dermatologist of the first category.

Specialty: General Medicine.

Work experience: 14 years.

Education: Kharkov State Medical University 2003

Zamchiy Sergey Vladimirovich

Dermatologist of the highest category, chief physician.

Specialty: General Medicine.

Work experience: 19 years.

Education: Kharkov State Medical University 1999

Treatment of diseases: Diagnosis and treatment of skin tumors (warts, papillomas, moles, spider veins, pigmentation), sexually transmitted diseases (chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, trichomoniasis, gonorrhea), chronic skin diseases (psoriasis, eczema, atopic dermatitis), skin infections (pyoderma, fungal diseases).

Make an appointment with a dermatologist