Moles are usually pretty small - about six millimeters or less in diameter, which is about the size of a pencil eraser. Ordinary moles are evenly colored across the entire mole - usually brown, but also tan or flesh-colored. They are either flat (even with the surrounding skin) or raised above the surrounding skin. Moles are usually round or oval shaped with sharply defined borders.

You can be born with a mole, but often they appear later during the first few decades of life. Occasionally several moles will appear at the same time on sun-exposed skin. After a mole is fully developed, it will usually remain the same size, color and shape for many years. Many times a mole will fade with age.

Melanoma Warning Signs

Just about everyone has spots on their skin and they are nothing to be alarmed about. Sometimes a non-cancerous growth can look like skin cancer, but it could be harmless. Most moles are nothing to worry about and are perfectly harmless. However, a change in a mole's appearance (size, shape, color) is a sign that you should see your doctor.

New or changing skin growth is the most important warning sign of melanoma. Changes in size, shape or color - or a new growth - that progresses over a month or more are warning signs of melanoma. Talk to your doctor if you notice these changes:

• Assymetry: half of the ot does not match the other half (most moles are oval or round).
• Border: moles usually have a clearly defined border, but melanoma may have unevenly shaped edges.
• Color: most moles are the same color throughout, but melanomas may have several colors.
• Size: usually moles are less than 1/4 inch in diameter (the size of a pencil eraser), but melanomas may range from 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch - and often much larger.
• Not all melanoma and skin cancer displays these warning signs! Other signs of melanoma are:
• spreading pigment from the border of the mole to the surrounding skin
• a sore that won't heal
• itchiness, tenderness or pain - changes in sensation of a mole
• changes in the surface of a mole such as oozing, bleeding or the appearance of a bump or nodule
• any mole that is dramatically different in appearance from your other moles

If you notice any of these warning signs - talk to your doctor immediately. Not all changes indicate skin cancer or melanoma, but your doctor is the person to make that diagnosis. Be safe. Early detection of cancer is the best defense against it. Visit your doctor!