Can You Get Moles Removed While Pregnant?

Can you get moles removed while pregnant?. mole removal while pregnant.

There are cases where experts advise a woman to remove a mole. Pay attention to those moments: The mole suddenly changed color, became much more significant, or began to bleed. It is also considered an unpleasant sign of itching in the area of the mole. In this case, it is best to consult a dermatologist for diagnosis and consultation.

In most cases, such phenomena do not mean anything dangerous, but it does not hurt to check. It should be noted that the change in the number of moles or their color does not affect the course of the pregnancy, as well as the health of the mother and the fetus.

Despite the relative harmlessness of moles, there is still a risk of serious diseases. According to statistics, in one case out of 100,000, the distribution of moles is not accidental but indicates the development of an oncological disease, melanoma. This disease can lead to death. In order not to risk your health, it is necessary to monitor changes in your moles.

If a specialist diagnoses the pre-cancerous condition of the skin cells, the mole will be removed; however, this can be done after the child is born. If the case proves to be critical and the mole must be removed immediately, the pregnant woman will be asked to sign individual papers, which will warn her of the possible risk of pregnancy, after which the mole will be surgically removed.

How are moles removed during pregnancy?

Mole removal while pregnant. If, after careful diagnosis, the specialist still decided that the mole should be removed, don’t panic immediately. The capabilities of today’s surgery allow you to remove a mole quickly and painlessly, and this is generally done under local anesthesia. To get rid of tumors in the body today in several ways:

• Surgical excision method of moles;
• using a laser;
• using cryotherapy – liquid nitrogen and low temperatures;
• radio wave therapy;
• Electrocoagulation: In this case, the high frequencies act on the mole.

The most suitable option for pregnant women is the removal of a nevus with a laser. This option fits almost everyone. There are a few exceptions. If the removal of the birthmark occurs immediately, it will be removed surgically. Only by excision can the entire affected area be removed.

The advantage of laser extraction is that this procedure is entirely painless and is performed without the use of anesthesia. The surgical excision method is generally used in the most extreme cases when there is confirmed information about the presence of malignant cells.

It is worth noting that self-removal of moles or seeking help from healers can have adverse consequences. If there are malignant cells in the mole, they must be removed entirely. Also, after removal, the specialist performs additional studies and prescribes treatments. The risk of your health should not; it is better to turn to professionals.

Moles and pregnancy: what to watch and how to do it

One of the things that worries my female patients with many moles is whether pregnancy can change the appearance or evolution of their moles in a dangerous way. An exhaustive review on this matter has recently been published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

1. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can modify the pigmentation of some areas of the female skin (facial chloasma, abdominal alba line, mammary areolas), and sometimes these modifications can also affect some moles.

2. Changes in the size of the moles can have to do with skin distension in certain areas (abdomen, breasts), and sometimes also with an intrinsic growth of some moles in any location, especially of raised moles of warty or papillomatous appearance. If these moles do not show any atypical clinical or dermoscopic data, there is usually no reason for concern. If a mole-like this bothers (itching, pain) or bleeds, it should be consulted immediately, although it often ends up being the result of some inadvertent trauma, and not its malignancy.

3. Some moles may darken during pregnancy, although systematic studies have indicated that this is a rare event. In my experience, there is a minority subgroup of women where this fact is very evident, sometimes coinciding with a striking pigmentation in the mammary areolas and abdominal midline. This fact should be viewed with caution if it affects only an isolated mole and not other molars with a similar initial appearance. 

Simultaneous and similar changes in various moles are clearly in favor of a reactive and benign process. Very marked changes in an isolated mole are more suspicious. Self- monitoring during pregnancy aided by baseline photographic controls and by the couple themselves. They can facilitate the recognition of potentially problematic changes, in which case the dermatologist should be consulted without delay.

4. Clinical changes usually correlate well with dermatoscopic modifications, and in doubtful cases, the digital dermoscopy helps us to monitor the evolution of some lunar concrete during pregnancy or after months of it, to decide whether there is an indication to remove a mole. The darkening of some flattened moles during pregnancy is often transient and subsides several months after delivery.

5. Digital dermoscopy uses diode-polarized light in the latest equipment, which has no risk for either the pregnant woman or the fetus. The test can be done without problems during pregnancy. In my patients in follow-up for multiple moles who become pregnant, We recommend a complete revision of their moles by the fifth or sixth month of pregnancy, when the test is still not uncomfortable for the pregnant woman (due to the fact that she has to change positions in the stretcher as we examine different body areas).

The test tells us if there is a tendency to instability in your moles and if one appears with a problematic appearance of evolution. Of course, I provide immediate appointment and at any time if the patient notices any change that seems doubtful in a mole (although, in fact, I do this in all my patients, regardless of whether or not there is a pregnancy involved).

The relationship between pregnancy and melanoma is highly controversial, although the currently available data is more reassuring than what we were dealing with several decades ago.

Dermatological care during pregnancy

Pregnancy is a beautiful stage in a woman’s life, but it requires specific primary care to prevent problems derived from changes in the skin, hair, and nails that can occur during pregnancy.

In 90% of pregnant women, a darkening of the skin may appear in different locations (abdomen, neck, nipples, areolas, genitals, armpits, facial), which is more frequent in women with dark skin. In most cases, this pigmentation gradually disappears after delivery but may reappear earlier in later pregnancies. These spots are the result of the increase of certain stimulating hormones of the melanocytes, which are the cells that give color to the skin.

To prevent the worsening of these “spots,” it is essential to carry out an adequate photoprotection during the entire pregnancy. In addition, depigmenting substances compatible with pregnancy can be used to decrease or prevent them.

Usually, the spots that most concern patients are those located on the face, which appears in the second trimester in 75% of pregnant women and can persist in more than 30% of cases. These spots, called chloasma, respond well to hydroquinone and tretinoin treatments after pregnancy.

The striae appear in almost all women during pregnancy, especially in the abdomen, buttocks, breasts, thighs, and English. There is usually a family predisposition, and they can be minimized by avoiding sudden weight gains, correctly hydrating the skin, and applying creams with derivatives of vitamin A after delivery.

Hair and nails can also change during pregnancy. The increased body hair is typical during pregnancy but disappears postpartum. In the same way, after 1-5 months of delivery, a massive hair loss can appear on the scalp that can last one year. It is called telogen effluvium, and it is totally reversible.

From the first trimester, greater fragility, grooves, and stretch marks and an increase in growth rate can be observed in the nails. All this improves if excessive nail contact with liquids is avoided, and adequate hydration is done with emollient creams.

The growth of nevi or moles, as well as the appearance of new lesions, is frequent during pregnancy. It is advisable to go to a dermatologist for any injury that presents warning signs such as itching, bleeding, pain, discoloration, or excessive growth.

What is important to remember?

Moles can form in a variety of places, including mucous membranes. Sometimes women have bulky moles in the private area, which can be a severe obstacle to implementing labor. In such cases, the removal of birthmarks is required during pregnancy. To avoid changes in the moles, as well as the appearance of new ones, pregnant women should follow some recommendations:

1. You must refuse an extended stay in the sun and a visit to the solarium.
2. If during the delivery period, the skin started to flake and itch, you should choose a good moisturizing soap.
3. Moles that are potentially exposed to mechanical stress should be monitored.
4. Follow the recommendations of the treating doctor and be sure to take vitamins.

However, you don’t need to worry much during pregnancy because of moles, and you shouldn’t completely forget about them. Occasionally, its condition should be checked, and in case of suspicious phenomena, it is better to consult a doctor immediately.

References:

• Ask an expert: Painful moles. (n.d.).
• blog.skincancer.org/2018/01/24/ask-expert-painful-moles/
• How to spot an atypical mole. (2019).
• skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/atypical-moles/warning-signs-and-images
• Melanoma. (n.d.).