What happens if you tear off a mole? Learn from our article!

Birthmark or birthmark called pigment or melanocytic nevus. It is a neoplasm located in the skin or mucous membranes. It develops as a result of local accumulation of non -ocytes - cells with a high content of melanin pigment. Basically, nevi is considered a benign neoplasm, which manifests itself in the form of nodules, colored spots or bulges on the skin.

In the birthmark there are pockets of rapidly multiplying pigment cells. Nevocytes are altered pigment cells that migrated into the deep layers of the epidermis. Some cells are able to move into the submucosal layer of the intestine, upper respiratory tract and a number of other organs.

Causes of the appearance of nevi

The exact reasons why these nevocytes accumulate in certain areas and form moles, is still not oralCredited. Nevertheless, there are a number of factors that can stimulate the appearance of nevi in ​​the fetus:

• genetic predisposition;
• adverse environmental conditions, the accommodation of future parents in areas with an increased radiation background;
• excessive exposure to ultraviolet light on a pregnant woman;
• therapy with hormone-containing drugs during pregnancy or shortly before it;
• acute hormonal imbalance in the body of a woman during gestation;
• STDs and inflammatory diseases of the urinary system of the pregnant.

In children and adolescents birthmarks appear or increase in size under the influence of the following factors:

• fluctuations in the hormonal background during puberty or due to treatment with corticosteroids;
• excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays on the baby's skin;
• radiation exposure;
• stresses, neuroses and depressive conditions;
• suppression of the immune system, advanced chemotherapy or organ and tissue transplantation;
• bacterial or viral diseases affecting the epidermis.

Attention! With age, the amount of melanin contained in tissues is dramatically reduced. Therefore, in people after 45-50 years old birthmarks begin to gradually disappear.

Why can not detach moles and what happens if you tear off the mole

There are a number of factors that make it dangerous to scratch, scratch, or detach moles:

1. Acute infection of can occur through the wound. Especially it concerns nevuses which are located in the field of genitals, on eyelids, axillas, buttocks. Apply a bandage to the affected area is almost impossible, so that various viruses and infections easily penetrate into the tissue.
2. Bleeding of the .Some birthmarks are densely dotted with a network of small vessels. Breaking the integrity of such a birthmark can cause quite a lot of bleeding.
3. Extension of the nevus .It is unclear what are the reasons for the formation of birthmarks, but it is known that damage to the birthmark can provoke its rapid growth and spread to new areas of the skin.
4. Changing the structure of the birthmark .Some nevuses after a lesion become rough, tuberous, painful.

Attention! If you are concerned about a mole that appears above the skin, consult a dermatologist and remove the tumor with laser correction or cryotherapy.

Damage to malignant moles

There is a huge number of various birthmarks, they differ in origin, color and size, good quality. Moles can be both flat and convex. Elevated above the surface of the epidermis nevi fairly easily injured. Most of the birthmarks are benign, they do not lead to the formation of melanoma, so violation of the integrity of such a birthmark will not cause harm to health.

However, there are two main types of birthmarks that are highly susceptible to malignant degeneration. Injury of this nevus is very dangerous:

1. Giant nevus is a large pigmented growth that rises above the surface of the skin. The dimensions of this formation can reach more than 20-30 cm in diameter, often have an incorrect asymmetric shape.
   Birthmark has an uneven warty surface on which the cutaneous pattern is not retained. Such spots usually affect the lower part of the body: the back below the scapula, the stomach, legs, forearms, buttocks. Their color varies from light beige to blue-black. In the pubertal period, such formations are able to darken and become covered with a dense scalp. Attention! Giant nevi have a high tendency to malignancy, that is malignant degeneration. If the stain is injured, bleeds or begins to change its structure, it must be urgently removed.
   

   Giant nevus

2. Dysplastic nevi. They are considered to be the precursors of melanoma. They have a very high tendency to malignant degeneration: on average, 70-100% of such spots are exposed to malignancy.
   These formations are usually formed by groups, among which one reaches the largest sizes. They have blurred boundaries, asymmetric shape and uneven coloring. A dysplastic nevus can affect any part of the body, but is more often localized to the skin of the legs, lower back and chest. If you detect and, moreover, damage such a stain, you should always consult a dermatologist-oncologist.
   

   Dysplastic nevus

Damage to the papillomas

Very often birthmarks are confused with papillomas and condylomas. Papilloma is a benign tumor formed by overgrown skin cells or epithelium. It sharply rises in the epidermis and has a conical or domed shape. Papillomas are painless, like birthmarks, they are soft to the touch and usually located in the genital area, under the armpits or on the neck. Such neoplasms can have different shades: from light pink to dark brown.

Papillomas are often very similar to birthmarks. However, there is a fundamental difference between them: birthmarks are formed from pigment cells and are laid during the embryonic development of the child, and papillomas are an acquired tumor caused by the multiplication of human papillomavirus( HPV) in the human body.

The causative agent, getting into the body, begins to multiply intensively, causing tissue hyperplasia, that is, their uncontrolled proliferation. When the papilloma is traumatized, wounds are formed on the skin, through which the virus enters the deeper layers of the skin and even the circulatory system. The spread of HPV with the blood flow through the body leads to papillomatosis of various organs, while some types of pathogen are carcinogenic, that is, they can cause the formation of cancer tumors.

Classification of HPV strains by carcinogenicity level

Classification of	Strain
High risk - oncogenic	16, 18, 31, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 59, 68, 73, 82
Low risk - non-oncogenic	6,11, 40, 42-44, 54, 61, 70, 72, 81

That's why when traumatizing a birthmark that towers over the epidermis, it is necessary to consult a doctor. The specialist will take an analysis of the tissues and determine the origin of the lesion. If HPV is detected, the doctor will prescribe special antiviral and immunostimulating drugs.

Warning! To prevent the spread of the pathogen to the body, it is necessary to remove neoplasms in a timely manner.

First aid in case of damage to the nevus

If the nevus is damaged, then it is necessary to take measures for disinfection of the wound. To act quickly and accurately to prevent the hit on the affected area of ​​dirt, dust and other sources of infection.

Warning! You can not use cotton wool for processing a birthmark, as cotton fibers can get into the wound and cause inflammation.

1. Moisten a sterile gauze or bandage in hydrogen peroxide or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Apply the compress to the wound surface and leave for 10-15 minutes.
2. Carefully remove the bandage and check to see if the bleeding has stopped.
3. Dry sterile bandage, better non-woven, soak the mole and the skin around it.
4. Alcohol, 70% boric acid solution or chlorhexidine disinfect the affected area. Greenish or iodine to treat the skin around the perimeter of the wound. The wound surface itself can not be cauterized.
5. Apply a sterile dressing.

You can not wash a wound with running water. Also it is forbidden to try to tear off the damaged birthmark. If the birthmark bleeds for more than 20-30 minutes, it is urgent to seek medical help.

After treatment of the wound surface, you need to make an appointment with a dermatologist or surgeon. If the nevus is completely detached from the surface of the skin, put it in a glass sealed container, if possible, add saline.

Warning! You can not cauterize the affected area with celandine, vinegar or apply any similar folk recipes. This not only increases the risk of infection of the wound at times, but also leads to the development of a chemical burn.

Prevention of nevus damage

Pigmented spots are detected in 75% of the population with a clear phenotype and can be located on any part of the body. The most common are flat birthmarks that do not rise above the surface of the skin. They are not dangerous, because it is very difficult to damage them. However, convex nevi are often subjected to various injuries. To avoid damage to this birthmark, several recommendations should be observed:

1. If the birthmark is located on the neck, you should avoid wearing necklaces, necklaces, clothes with tight collar.
2. It is necessary to give preference to things from natural fabrics and to make sure that decorative elements on clothes do not contact the surface of moles.
3. During shaving and hair removal, avoid areas around the nevus.
4. Do not rub moles with a washcloth while washing.
5. Avoid frequent exposure to ultraviolet radiation and do not go to the beach at noon hours, use sunscreen when sunbathing. Moles can begin to grow under excessive exposure to sunlight.
6. Do not comb or pick nevuses, even if you are concerned about itching.

If the birthmark is injured, it is recommended to remove it. To date, there are different methods by which you can get rid of nevi.

Laser destruction is one of the most modern and effective methods for removing nevuses of small diameter. The spot is burned with a powerful light beam. In this case, the laser destroys only the affected tissue and does not damage the healthy. An additional advantage of this method is that the beam of the device burns the vessels, that is, during the procedure, there is no bleeding. After manipulation, a small pinkish scar remains on the skin, which eventually brightens and disappears.

Radio wave therapy is the way in which the nevus of high-frequency radio waves is affected. When using this method, there is no contact of the device with the blood or subcutaneous tissue of the patient. After the procedure, a small wound remains on the site of the removed nevus, which after a few days is covered with a scab. Trying to rip off this crust is impossible, otherwise there will be a scar on the skin.

Electrocoagulation is a technique in which a birthmark is removed with a current. The device makes a microscrew of the nevus and cuts it in a phased manner in thin layers. This procedure is rather painful, therefore it is performed under local anesthesia. After the procedure, a dressing is applied to the treated surface, which can be removed after 3-4 days.

Cryodestruction of is a method of cauterizing a nevus with an ultra-low temperature liquid gas. The procedure should be carried out 1 to 5 times.2-3 weeks after treatment, the stain dries, decreases in size and disappears.

Do not attempt to remove moles yourself, especially for damaged nevi. Such a procedure can be dangerous to health.

Damage to the nevus does not lead to the development of cancerous tumors. Exception is only prone to malignancy birthmarks. However, the wound that formed a torn rod on the spot, is the gateway to the pathogens of various diseases. Therefore, when traumatizing the nevus, you must necessarily decontaminate the affected area, and then seek help from a specialist.

Video - 3 truthful facts that will be if to tear off the mole