Mole growing back

[answerlooking]

Hi, I'm 23 years old with blond hair and blue eyes and i still tan without problems and i dont really burn even though im blond. The problem i have is with a mole. It is on my left leg and i had it all my life. I just noticed 2 months ago that it was irregular; it looked like a dysplastic nevi. I think this mole has always been the same all my life but when i started looking on the internet for melanoma i flipped out and i started looking at the mole in a different way. So i think that it had always been irregular with no major changes in the mole but because the internet made me paranoid maybe i thought it changed. Anyways, after that i puit eczema on the mole and scratched it off. Few days after there was a scab and the area around it was red. It healed in a few days and now 2 months later the mole is back but the color is ligher and it doesnt seem irregular anymore. Instead of being raised, the mole is flat and light brown. Before, is was darker. I saw a dermatologist and he told me that the only thing i need to do is watch it out. If the mole stays regular it means it is fine. But im wondering, if melanoma was present before scratching the mole off would it still show when the mole reapppears? Please help :)

[answerlooking]

by the way what do u mean melanomas cannot be picked i dont understand?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Since the mole is a bit more regular now, chances of a melanoma are less and you need to keep an eye on it. Just look out for the changes that I have mentioned before and if you notice any of these, then an evaluation from a dermatologist is required.
I hope it helps. Take care and regards.

[answerlooking]

anyone can help me? no one can reply?

[answerlooking]

Thanks a lot for your reply :) I just have few more questions. So you're saying that after scratching a mole it can grow back different? Cause in my case it was irregular before and its size was around 5-6 mm with black center and now its regular with light brown and much smaller? is that normal? Also one thing im sure of is that when the mole was irregular before scratching it, it never grew in size like it stayed the same size for years. If it was melanoma would it have grow in all these years? It's just the color that changed a bit over the years it became a bit darker i think. But like i said before im not really sure because the only time i noticed it being darker was after reading the internert about melanoma for the first time and i was scarred and paranoid so maybe i thought the color was darker when it always been the same. I know i have a lof of questions but im an anxious person and would like to put my mind at ease. Thanks a lot and im waiting for your reply :)

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
I think that the dermatologist is right in saying that it is a mole and you need to keep an eye on it. It has happened after trauma and so chances of melanoma are less. Melanomas are usually >6 mm in size,with irregular borders ,asymmetrical and dark in color. Melanomas cannot be picked. So rest assured that this healed lesion can be a melanoma. If however it appears again and starts increasing in size even without trauma inflicted to it, then skin biopsy may be needed.
Melanoma has an irregular border, is asymmetrical,uneven color and increasing in size. If you notice changes in the mole's/mark’s color, height, size or shape, you should have a dermatologist evaluate it. You also should have it checked if it bleeds, oozes, itches, appear scaly, or become tender or painful. Otherwise it should be left as such.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.