Moles, which are also known as melanocytic naevi in the medical community is usually a benign (non-cancerous) skin lesion that may occur anywhere on the human body. They are dark brown or black in color and may appear alone or in a small cluster. Their texture differs from person to person. For some they are smooth, whereas for others they may be coarse to the touch. In some cases they lie flat against the skin, whereas in other cases they may be raised. Some even have hair growing from inside them whereas others don’t!

How do Moles Develop on the Skin?

Moles develop when melanocytes, a type of skin cells that gives each of us our unique pigment, grow in clusters, rather than being uniformly distributed throughout the skin. That is why they are usually far darker than the surrounding area. They are usually triggered by hormonal changes that may be caused by:

Teen age: Once a person “comes of age”, there are a lot of hormonal changes that tend to occur. The incidence of moles will be the greatest during the teen years.

Pregnancy:Pregnancy makes a lot of changes in a woman’s body. Although pregnancy does not usually lead to the creation of more moles, but existing moles tend to become darker in color.

Sunlight:Prolonged exposure to the sunlight may trigger the formation of moles as well. Moles triggered by sunlight are more likely to turn into melanoma, or skin cancer. Towards the end of this article, we will discuss the link between moles and skin cancer in further detail.

Once people reach middle-age (40 years onwards) the number of moles on the body tends to go down.

Scientists believe that there is a genetic factor behind the creation of moles. If you have a family member that has moles on their face or body then there is a greater likelihood that you may develop this condition at some stage in your life.

Types of Moles

Although all moles may look the same to the untrained eye, on close inspection one can actually see the subtle differences among different types of moles. Some of the most common types are:

Dermal melanocytic naevi: They typically protrude from the skin and tend to have a pale hue. They may contain hair as well.

Junctional melanocytic naevi: They lie flat against the skin, is round and is usually deep brown or black in color.

Compound melanocytic naevi: They protrude from the skin as well, is usually light brown in color and may contain hair as well.

Following are some more uncommon types of moles:

Blue naevi: They are dark blue in color.

Halo naevi: In this case the mole or moles have a pale circular ring (or halo) that surrounds it. For some reason the skin loses all pigments around the edges of these moles.

Dyplastic or atypical naevi (Clark naevi): These moles are somewhat large and looks a bit awkward. They could be flat or may be raised in a bump and can appear in different shades.

Ways to Remove a Mole

In most cases moles just look awkward, other than that they are absolutely benign. However, if there is continuous friction in the area, then it may get inflamed. That being said, most people choose to get rid of their moles for purely aesthetic reasons. It is recommended that one should try to remove the moles using certain easy to use and perfectly safe home remedies. If these do not help, then one should set an appointment with a dermatologist.

Please note that irrespective of what method you decide to use to get rid of your mole, chances are that it may leave a small scar behind.

Home Remedies to Get Rid of Moles

There are several home remedies that you can try to get rid of the mole that is eating at your self-confidence. Following are some examples:

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is a strong natural acid that can help to remove moles by slowly burning them, causing it to ultimately scab and fall off. ACV is also known for its anti-bacterial properties; hence it also protects the area from secondary infections.

Before you decide to use this treatment, you need to make sure that you are not allergic to ACV. To determine that, take a bit of undiluted ACV and put it on an unaffected part of your skin. It should sting for a little bit, but it should be normal after a few seconds. If the sting is persistent, then you may be allergic to ACV and you need to pursue a different treatment.

If you can tolerate this treatment, then there are a couple of methods that you can use ACV to treat your mole:

Dip a cotton ball in ACV and press it against the affected area. Hold it in place using gauze and medical tapes. Remove after an hour. Doing this once everyday should get rid of your mole in about 10 days or sooner.To make this treatment even more effective, use an emery board to gently scrape the surface of the mole. Apply ACV till the area goes white and then let it dry naturally. This should allow you to burn off the mole even faster.

Take extra care to ensure that you never ingest undiluted Apple Cider Vinegar. For best results, use organic ACV that still has the “mother of vinegar” in it!

Baking soda and Castor oil

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that suggests that baking soda and castor oil can be combined to create a slow, but highly effective remedy for moles. This is because castor oil is purported to have discutient (the ability to disperse pathological growth) properties. This treatment also reduces the chances of scars in the aftermath.

Following is how you would go about applying this treatment:

Take a teaspoon of baking soda and add about three or four drops of castor oil to it. Mix it properly to create a gummy texture.Apply it on your moles right before you go to bed.Protect the area using adhesive bandages or gauze and medical tapes.Take it off and wash the area after you wake up.

This should get rid of the moles in about a month.

Flaxseed oil, Ground Flaxseeds and Honey

Flaxseed oil is effective against raised moles. It slowly loosens the mole from the edges, gradually allowing it to come off. Honey is anti-bacterial properties, which prevents the area from secondary infections and also has scar removal properties.

Following is how you apply the treatment:

Wash the affected area with lukewarm water and pat it dry.Combine a teaspoon each of ground flaxseed powder, flaxseed oil and honey to make a smooth paste.Apply it on the moles and protect the area with gauze and medical tapes if you need to.Leave it on for an hour, after which wash it off with lukewarm water.

Repeating this treatment three times during the course of the day may get rid of moles in a few weeks.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil seems to work pretty well for raised moles with a shallow root. There is scant scientific evidence that supports this treatment, but there is plenty anecdotal evidence that seems to suggest that it is indeed an effective remedy. It does have proven anti-bacterial properties, which will protect the area from secondary infections.

Just like ACV, people can be sensitive or allergic to tea tree oil as well. The best way to determine whether you are allergic or not would be to apply tea tree oil to an unaffected part of your skin, to check and see how your skin reacts. If you feel a minor sting that goes away after a few seconds, then this treatment is right for you. However, if you feel a persistent burning sensation, then you may be allergic to and should not pursue this treatment any further.

Following is how you would use tea tree oil to treat your moles:

Dip a Q-tip in tea tree oil and gently brush it against your mole.Cover the area with an adhesive bandage for an hour.

Repeat these two steps twice every day for a month. One of the suggested times for applying this remedy is right before going to bed. You should not ingest tea tree oil under any circumstance.

Garlic

arlic contains enzymes that breaks down the anomalous cell structures that are manifested in the form of a mole. To apply this treatment, simply slice a piece of garlic clove, and apply the cut side on the mole. Hold the clove in place using medical tapes. Leave it overnight.

Repeating this garlic treatment every night before going to bed should get rid of the mole in a few weeks.

Banana Peels

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that points towards banana peels as an effective treatment for moles. Simply cut a piece of the banana peel and place it on the mole, so that the yellow part of the peel is facing outwards. Hold it in place with adhesive bandages and leave it on for at least an hour. Repeating this every day should get rid of the mole in a few weeks.

For best results, one needs to use the peel of a ripe banana.

Iodine

Iodine tends to trigger cell death, which can help eliminate moles. A 5% solution of tincture iodine that is available at any drugstore should do the trick.

Following is how you should apply the treatment:

Wash the affected area with lukewarm water and pat it dry.Take a piece of emery board and gently scratch the surface of the mole.Apply some petroleum jelly on the surrounding area. This will help protect the area from pigmentation.Apply a drop of iodine directly on the mole.Protect the area with adhesive tapes or gauze and medical tapes.

Repeating this daily should get rid of the moles in a couple of weeks. Iodine should not be ingested under any circumstance!

Aloe Vera

One of the main reasons why this is a preferred treatment for most is that it is completely painless, although most of the evidence supporting its usefulness is purely anecdotal. The fact that it is a natural sunscreen and is a topical anti-bacterial solution adds to the reasons why it is a go to remedy for many!

Following is how you can use Aloe Vera to treat your moles:

Wash the affected area with some lukewarm water and pat it dry.Take an aloe leaf and chop off its rinds to take it apart.Take a Q-tip and scrape the organic aloe gel from the leaf and apply it directly on your moles.Protect the area with gauze and medical tapes and leave it on for about three hours. Doing this for about two to three times everyday should get rid of the moles in about a month.

If you cannot get hold of aloe leaves then purchase a bottle of organic aloe from your local health food store.

Source: Beyonddisease