A darkened mole: symptoms, possible causes, mandatory consultation with a doctor, diagnosis and treatment

What is a nevus?

A mole is a consequence of the excessive work of melanocytes (cells that produce melanin), the accumulation of the pigment they produce. The more melanin spots in the cells, the darker the nevus will be. A person can have these marks from birth. Sometimes they appear throughout life - mostly before the age of 16.

The mole has darkened. Don't be scared right away. This is a normal process if it is associated with the development of a formation - a newly appeared mole. It is “born” as a light spot, which darkens over time, approaching its permanent shade. However, we note that the period of development is always gradual and consistent.

Cause for concern

Modern scientists are finding more and more similarities between the processes that occur during chronic tissue damage and in malignant tumors. In fact, this idea is not new. Even the German pathologist Rudolf Virchow, who lived in the century before last, called cancer an “unhealing wound.” When tissue damage occurs as a result of mechanical injury or inflammation, active regeneration processes begin in it. Certain types of leukocytes rush to the lesion. They secrete biologically active substances that cause cells to actively multiply. Genes that normally should not work are temporarily “turned on” in cells. And this can contribute to the development of a malignant tumor. For example, the role of chronic inflammatory process in the development of stomach and intestinal cancer has been established.

Perhaps this concept can explain why 20–30% of patients develop melanoma from pigmented nevi. According to the “unhealed wound” theory, moles can become malignant not only due to defects in the DNA of melanocyte cells, but also due to processes occurring in the surrounding tissues. And these processes, in turn, can be the result of inflammation or injury.

In 2015, a team of scientists from the UK and Denmark conducted an experiment on zebrafish and obtained very interesting results. These fish, like humans, can develop melanoma, their immune systems work in much the same way, and their transparent larvae are easy to observe. Over the course of several months, the researchers cut off the fish's tail fin in the same place every two weeks. And these repeated injuries increased the rate of development of malignant tumors.

This study does not prove that an accidentally damaged mole in a person will develop into melanoma, but it does suggest the possibility. Dr. Philip Niethammer from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (USA) notes some weaknesses of the study by European colleagues:

Although the results of the zebrafish experiment look very convincing, they cannot be completely extrapolated to humans.
The intervention of scientists during the experiment is too far from real life. The researchers cut off the fish's fin in the same place many times. It is unlikely that a person will pick off the same mole over and over again. Although, in some cases, similar repetitive injuries can occur - for example, during shaving in men, if the mole is on the face.
It is unclear whether a single injury can have the same effect as repeated injury. This possibility cannot be ruled out, but there is no evidence yet.

So, while doctors and scientists cannot say for sure whether mechanical trauma to a mole can lead to the development of melanoma. To get a definite answer, additional research is needed. For now, I can give only one piece of advice: it’s better not to touch moles, just in case. Nevi that constantly rub against clothing or are damaged during shaving are probably worth removing - although no one can say that constant trauma increases the risk of their malignancy.

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Signs of a safe mole

The nevi themselves are safe for the life and health of the owner of the mark. Signs of a normal mole:

No more than 6 mm in diameter.
Static in size - does not grow.
Has smooth (not sharp) edges.
Smooth surface.
There are no roughness or growths.
Static in color.

If black dots appear inside the nevus, which increase in size and go beyond its boundaries, then this may be one of the signs of melanoma. What is this? A malignant formation of the skin, which can lead to serious consequences for human health, like any cancerous tumor. The transformation of a harmless nevus into melanoma is called malignancy. A number of factors can provoke this.

Thus, if a mole has darkened, then this is a reason to pay attention to the nevus. But this will not be a defining sign of the development of melanoma.

The more moles, the happier?

There are coincidences that a person is happier with more moles, but this is not always the case.

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A large number of moles may indicate a certain predisposition to their transformation into not very good formations. We are talking about specific types of moles. But a specialist will tell the patient about this. I would talk about dysplastic nevus.

A dysplastic nevus is a mole from which a malignant neoplasm can arise. First of all, we are talking about melanoma.

Melanoma is called the “queen of cancer” or the “black queen”.

Why did the mole darken?

Changes in nevi lie in the action of certain factors on them. Can a mole darken? Yes, and it’s all about the reasons that affect the activity of melanocytes (and, accordingly, the amount of pigment they produce). This is the following:

UV rays. Ultraviolet light most contributes to the accumulation of melanin in cells. That's why we get a chocolate tan under the rays of the sun and solarium lamps. If you periodically spend a long time in the sun, you may notice that the mole has darkened along with the skin (sometimes the nevus becomes almost black, black spots appear on it). Experts advise protecting marks from direct exposure to UV rays - using protective equipment, covering yourself with clothes, and not sunbathing in the sun from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you have a lot of moles on your body, then it is better to avoid going to the solarium.
Changes in hormonal levels. This condition also affects the production of melanin. Therefore, nevi can darken during adolescence, pregnancy and menopause in women. The darkening of nevi is one of the external signals that the body is being rebuilt and there is an imbalance in its systems.
Damage. A mole may well change its color due to mechanical impact on it or injury. The cause could even be constant friction against clothing.

Scientists' opinion

The most common malignant skin tumors are basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma. Everything has been clear with them for a long time: it has been proven that the likelihood of these tumors occurring is increased in those places where there are scars from severe burns and chronic inflammatory processes. Trauma contributes to the development of skin cancer and is one of the recognized risk factors. However, it is important to understand that although the risks are increasing, they are still very low. If you severely scald your hand with boiling water and you have scars, this does not mean that years later you will definitely develop a malignant tumor.

In the case of melanoma, there is no such clear evidence. Several studies have been conducted in the last century. Some of them describe cases where melanoma arose after injury to a mole or even “clean” skin. No other scientific work has found such a connection. Scientists are generally not inclined to make hasty conclusions; they are guided by the principle of post hoc ergo propter hoc - “after does not mean as a result.” If after a skin injury, either single or repeated, melanoma soon appears in that same place, this does not mean at all that the first entailed the second. There are also alternative explanations:

Perhaps there was already a malignant tumor, and the injury simply forced him to pay attention to it.
It is possible that the injury accelerated the growth of a pre-existing malignant tumor.

Let's consider another possible situation. A patient comes to a doctor to have a mole removed, and the doctor grants his wish. After some time, the mole grows back, it is removed again, and a biopsy shows that it is melanoma. Did the first operation provoke malignancy? It is impossible to give a definite answer to this question. Perhaps the patient originally had melanoma, and the first time it was not completely removed. Perhaps malignancy occurred later, and the operation had nothing to do with it.

In 2000, scientists from the University of Ulm (Germany) conducted a survey among 369 patients who were diagnosed with melanoma. 337 study participants said that no trauma preceded the appearance of a malignant tumor. 22 participants reported that they had previously experienced a single skin injury at the site of the malignancy, and 10 participants reported chronic skin injury. After conducting an analysis, the authors of the work came to the conclusion that, apparently, neither acute nor chronic skin injuries should be considered as causative factors in the development of melanoma.

In 2002, scientists from the National Cancer Center in Sofia (Bulgaria) conducted a case-control study, during which they surveyed 156 patients with melanoma and 156 healthy people. The authors concluded that trauma to benign pigmented lesions is associated with a slightly increased risk of melanoma, but this association was not statistically significant.

Of particular interest to scientists is the connection between injuries and the development of subungual melanomas, which occur under the nail plate. In this case, the role of the main risk factor for the development of melanoma, ultraviolet radiation, is not so high. Many scientists doubt that UV rays can penetrate the nail plates strongly enough to damage the DNA of the skin and lead to malignancy. In 2002, doctors from the Department of Dermatology at the University of Tübingen (Germany) decided to evaluate the role of mechanical injuries and analyzed data from 732 patients. Many patients noted that the development of the tumor was preceded by trauma to the fingers or toes, however, it was not possible to assess whether there was a real connection. The authors of the work suggest that trauma forces attention to melanoma or somehow contributes to its growth. It should be noted that subungual melanoma is generally quite difficult to diagnose; doctors often detect them in the later stages. Injuries to fingers and toes are by no means uncommon, especially among people who engage in physical labor or sports. At the same time, subungual melanoma is rare; in Europeans it accounts for 2–3% of all cutaneous melanomas.

There are still more questions than answers. One way or another, there is not a single case known in which it was possible to prove an unambiguous cause-and-effect relationship between skin damage and the development of melanoma. But such a connection cannot be completely ruled out.

What is a hanging nevus?

Let’s look separately at why the hanging mole has darkened. This is an ordinary harmless nevus, but located not in the thickness of the skin, but on the so-called stalk - attached to the epithelium with a small thin piece of tissue. A number of experts note that such moles are less likely than others to degenerate into dangerous melanoma. They are distinguished by their flesh color, somewhat rough surface and small size.

These formations cause discomfort to their owner because they are more susceptible to mechanical damage from clothing, hygiene items, jewelry, etc. than other nevi. Basically, they are located in “traumatic” locations - in the armpits, on the neck, in the intimate area.

The hanging nevus has darkened - what's the matter?

If a hanging mole has darkened, then the reasons for the change lie in the following:

Again, excessive exposure of the owner to UV rays.
Restructuring of hormonal levels.
Mechanical injury. The most common reason. As a result of injury, a hanging mole can not only darken, but also become inflamed, begin to dry out, and even fall off.
Another reason for the blackening of such a nevus is a violation of the blood supply to its tissues.

How dangerous is damage to a hanging nevus? Even if the pedunculated area darkens and comes off, the base of the mole still remains deep in the layers of the skin. Damage can cause the proliferation of nevus cells in the thickness of the epithelium. This process can only be stopped surgically - by removing them.

Why do nevi change color?

The color of moles depends on the work of melanocytes, which produce melanin. Excessive accumulation of skin pigment leads to darkening of the formation, and insufficient accumulation leads to lightening . Such changes are observed under the influence of the following factors:

Ultraviolet. Sunlight and radiation in a solarium promote the proliferation of melanocytes. Therefore, after too intense exposure to ultraviolet radiation on the skin, moles may darken or their total number may increase. Due to the influence of this factor, the risk of malignant degeneration of nevi increases significantly.
Hormonal imbalance. Moles can change their color during puberty, pregnancy, and the onset of menopause.
Injury. A mole may turn black after being damaged by friction with clothing or a cut with a razor.
Skin diseases. The nevus becomes black or colorless if a person suffers from inflammatory processes affecting the epidermis.

Dangerous symptoms of degeneration into melanoma

First of all, we note that blackening of the nevus is in itself an alarming symptom! Yes, sometimes the reason can be banal and harmless - friction on clothes, frequent exposure to the scorching rays of the sun. But this is still a sufficient reason to contact a specialist - a dermatologist or oncologist. This way you can stop the development of melanoma in time. Or reassure yourself that everything is fine with your health.

The mole has enlarged and darkened. What could this mean? If the blackening of the nevus is accompanied by other unclear symptoms, this is a reason to urgently consult a doctor! Let's present a list of the most common signs of malignancy:

A sharp increase in size of the formation, a change in its shape and shade.
Liquid, blood, and mucus are often released from the nevus.
Hairs have appeared on the mole (if they did not grow there before).
The nevus was surrounded by a white halo of discolored skin.
Red, black, or other different colored spots appear on the mole.
The surface of the nevus became rough, covered with roughness and cracks.
The skin both at the site of the mark itself and around it has become denser.
You feel unpleasant sensations in the location of the nevus - itching, pain.

If a mole has darkened or become convex, do not hesitate, consult an experienced doctor as soon as possible! Even one of the above symptoms is a sufficient reason for a visit.

When danger arises

Moles appear throughout a person’s life (most of all in the first twenty years). This process occurs in everyone and does not pose any danger. Moles can be small, occupy a fairly large area, be flat, or rise above the body. All such formations have approximately the same chances of malignant degeneration.

Hanging nevi are especially dangerous. They are attached to the surface of the epidermis by a thin stalk. Therefore, they are easily injured, which can become an impetus for the development of oncology.

If at some point in life a mole has changed, you need to pay attention to signs indicating the onset of a malignant process:

the mole suddenly changed color to darker or became lighter;
the hanging nevus suddenly turned black and fell off (this happens due to the breakage of a thin stalk);
the surface of the formation dries out and cracks;
the mole has increased significantly in size;
the nevus provoked the appearance of discomfort - pain, burning, itching;
the structure of the skin formation has changed - it has become convex, bumpy;
the nevus acquired unclear boundaries and became asymmetrical;
any liquid is released from the surface of the growth;
the skin around has darkened or turned white, and a characteristic rim (halo) has appeared.

What to do if a mole has darkened?

Let us remind you once again that the first thing you need to do is contact a medical clinic, a qualified specialist. But darkening of a mole in itself is not a sufficient reason for making a diagnosis.

The patient will be asked to undergo several diagnostic procedures. First, a visual inspection by a specialist. Then - testing (skiascopy, dermatoscopy). If the clinical picture is controversial, then an additional biopsy is prescribed.

What is the treatment?

Subsequent therapy is based on the diagnosis revealed by the results of examinations:

Degeneration of nevus into melanoma. In this case, a traditional operation is performed under local anesthesia to remove the formation. After this, the tumor tissues are sent for histological analysis to assess their malignancy. The disadvantage of this method is that it does not prevent recurrence of such cases. But still, today this is the surest way to get rid of malignant tumors.
Nevus does not pose a health hazard. The patient will be offered recommendations to prevent moles from degenerating into melanomas. A harmless darkened nevus can be removed using a number of hardware methods - cryodestruction (exposure to liquid nitrogen), radioknife (removal using high-frequency electromagnetic waves), electrodestruction (removal of a nevus using electric current), laser therapy methods.

Removal methods

If the nevus turns pale, darkened, or becomes covered with suspicious bumps, doctors recommend removing it.

This can happen in several ways:

Excision using a scalpel. The method is widely used in cases of suspected cancer. The collected biomaterial is sent for detailed examination, which allows an accurate diagnosis to be made. The disadvantage of this method is the high level of tissue trauma, which increases the postoperative recovery period.
Laser destruction. Acceptable when identifying small formations. After its use, there are no scars left on the body, and the recovery period is minimal. The disadvantage of the procedure is the impossibility of completely eliminating the formation, which sometimes leads to its re-growth.
Radio wave destruction. Removal of skin growths occurs with minimal blood loss, since blood vessels are cauterized during the procedure. When exposed to radio waves, only nevus cells are destroyed, and healthy tissue is not affected. The method is effective, but is not used for large tumor sizes.
Electrocoagulation. Removal is carried out using current. During the procedure, the level of blood loss due to capillary coagulation is reduced.
Cryodestruction. The technique is used to eliminate small superficial formations on the body. The procedure takes place under the influence of liquid nitrogen.

This cannot be done!

You have noticed that one or more nevi on your body have darkened. Now we will present examples of what can aggravate your condition and cause serious consequences:

Self-diagnosis and self-medication. The cause of darkening of a mole can only be determined by a qualified doctor. He makes recommendations for the patient’s further actions.
Self-removal of a mole. This is especially true for pedunculated nevi. The consequences of such actions can be the most dire - from infection to accelerated development of melanoma.
The use of traditional medicine. Even after consulting a doctor, many people still deviate from the prescribed treatment. They are attracted to folk remedies that are rumored to bring quick and painless positive results. However, remember that any chemical and mechanical effects on the nevus without its further complete removal only accelerate the rate at which this harmless formation turns into melanoma.
Following controversial advice. On the Internet you can find recommendations of a similar plan: cover darkened moles before visiting the beach and solarium - they say, this will protect them from the harmful effects of UV rays. But in this way you also create a negative greenhouse effect. It is safer for life and health to follow the recommendations of your doctor.

Now we know that darkening of a mole can be the result of both hormonal changes, too intense tanning, mechanical damage, and dangerous malignant melanoma. Therefore, your only course of action here is to contact a specialist as soon as possible.

How to prevent malignant degeneration

To prevent the development of oncological processes in moles, you must adhere to simple rules:

Removal of nevi and other skin growths should only occur under the supervision of a physician using safe methods. Self-treatment of such formations is extremely undesirable.
It is necessary to prevent injury to moles. If the risk of damage is high, it is recommended to consult a doctor to remove the formation surgically.
If hair grows on the surface of the mole, you should not pluck it with tweezers. It's best to simply cut off the excess with nail scissors.
It is not recommended to apply cosmetics to the surface of nevi; this may lead to an unpredictable reaction from the body.
The surface of the skin with moles should be protected from all negative external influences - the sun, chemicals, friction.

With the right approach to the problem, the risk of an unfavorable outcome is significantly reduced. Therefore, darkened nevi require special attention and, if necessary, treatment, which should only be carried out under the supervision of an experienced doctor .

The color of a mole directly depends on the processes of skin pigmentation. In this regard, sometimes nevi become more saturated in color, and this is normal. But the appearance of a black mole may indicate health problems and require immediate medical intervention. There is always a risk of it degenerating into melanoma. Experts insist on regular examination of the body for new black moles.

Typically, moles, including black ones, are present on the human body from birth or appear before the child reaches 16 years of age. At this age, the appearance of nevi of such a dark color is not considered a pathology. But if the mole formed at a later period and is increasing, then you may need to see a doctor. Read more about the formation of nevi in the article about the reasons for the appearance of moles on the body.