Until it’s removal, the “thing” planted on the middle of my stomach was my biggest insecurity. I had it for as long as I could remember and felt like everyone was staring at it, all the time. It could not have been more centered in placement, and more unattractive to the eye. It was the darkest of browns and, although it was small, it refused to go unnoticed. When I was younger, I tried picking at it often in attempt to eventually “pick” it off. After my mom found out, I was forced to stop. As I got older, it began to change colors and, as it changed colors, I became more and more self-conscious of it.

Around the time of my junior year of high school, I made the executive decision that this “thing” had to go. It was too unbearable in my opinion and I could not stand one more summer with it. This worked out in my advantage! After having it looked at by a dermatologist, it was in my best interest to get it removed in case it were cancerous. However, this took me by surprise. I wasn’t aware that it could be cancerous, and did not even know that was possible. I never researched it but, now that it’s over and done with, why not? 

“What is a mole, exactly? How does it come to be? What separates it from a beauty mark? And how can it possibly be cancerous?” These questions flooded my mind at the time of the removal, and have yet to be answered (until today).

A mole is a growth in the skin that develops when pigment cells grow in clusters. Luckily, they are quite common! They can arise from sun exposure. This file explains that moles can also arise during puberty, or may be “present at birth”.

There really isn’t a prominent difference between a mole and a beauty mark. A beauty mark is a mole or birthmark located on the upper portion of your body. Shama Davis, the author of the article attached, explains that the term “beauty mark” is not used in the medical field. It is somewhat of a slang for the word mole, suggesting that the blemish is attractive. 

Luckily, the mole on my stomach was benign. However, there are many signs that us “mole-owners” should look out for. For instance, all citations agree that asymmetry, change in color or texture, or uneven size or boarder are all signs of melanoma, which is typically caused by sunburn from UV exposure. 

Although you may assume that this story had a rather happy ending considering I was mole-free, you are wrong. Now, I am left with a raised scar centered in my stomach. Immediately after the removal, scar tissue pushed through before it fully healed, forcing my skin to raise. I’m not sure which of the two is worse, but award for most unlucky teen goes to…..

– JT