How do I know if a mole is dangerous?
Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS
Use the ABCDE check: Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color variation within one mole, Diameter beyond a pencil eraser, and Evolving, any change in size, shape, color, or new itching and bleeding.
The strongest single signal is change. A mole that looks different from its neighbors, the ugly duckling, earns attention even if it fails the other letters.
Any evolving or bleeding mole should be examined promptly; caught early, melanoma is highly curable. Photograph suspicious spots monthly with a coin for scale so change becomes visible instead of debatable.
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