Getting Moles During Pregnancy

One thing that is certain during the pregnancy phase is the change in various physical, mental and physiological parts of a woman’s body. One noticeable physical difference that occurs is moles. Moles tend to change in size, shape, texture, and colour during pregnancy, and this can be attributed to the various hormonal changes a woman’s body is undergoing during this period.

Identifying a change in your mole structure during this period can be tricky and hard, but being aware of this change is important. Read on to know more about moles during pregnancy and how they’re caused, the risks involved, and the changes to look out for.

What Are Moles?

Moles are small blemishes or spots that are present on our bodies. Most moles are generally inherited from parents, which means they’re genetic. They occur when a lot of melanocyte cells cluster together. They are usually light brown or black in colour and can range anywhere between 1 to 100 on an individual’s body.

Moles can be bulged, flat, smooth, or rough. They can also, in some cases, have hair growing on them.

What Causes Moles During Pregnancy?

If you notice your moles getting bigger during pregnancy, there are a few reasons behind this. During the gestation period, they tend to appear on the abdomen and breast areas, as these are the body parts that undergo a lot of change. Even existing moles tend to get bigger and darker. Some of the reasons that moles occur more prominently during pregnancy include:

• The changes are benign most of the time and occur mainly because of changes in the hormones in your body.

• Freshly formed moles sometimes appear during pregnancy, but they disappear as soon as you give birth.

• If there are asymmetrical moles on your body that change in size, colour, or shape too often, then you should go to a doctor and get them checked.

Is Getting Moles During Pregnancy Harmful?

Moles occurring during pregnancy aren’t necessarily harmful. However, you need to look out for a few signs, just in case, and get your skin checked during this time to ensure that it is safe. Here is what you need to look out for:

• Some benign moles can change to malignant melanoma. Melanoma is a fast-growing black spot.
• If a mole, whether it is new or is already a pre-existing one, turns red and feels itchy or bleeds.
• Melanoma can be treated at an early stage where the malignancy is restricted to just the skin’s surface.

Is It Normal for a Mole to Change When Pregnant?

Melanoma occurring in women shows signs identical to that in non-pregnant women:

1. If you have certain patches or spots that are changing shape and sizes frequently with bleeding or itching, then you need to get it checked.

2. You can use the ABCDE rule to self-evaluate your moles whilst pregnant:

A – Asymmetry: When half of the mole’s shape does not match with the other half. Simply put, the mole’s shape is distorted and irregular.

B – Border: The border or the edge of the mole is irregular, not defined, scalloped, or rugged to look at.

C – Colour: The colour of the mole is not the same throughout. The spot can vary in different shades such as white, red, brown, blue, or black.

D – Diameter: In a situation where the diameter is bigger than 6 mm., then the mole could be malignant. A malignant mole can also be slightly smaller in size.

E- Elevated: The mole is not flat-surfaced but is bulged, jutting out, or elevated.

Do Pregnancy Moles Go Away?

Pregnancy moles go away most of the times. If they’re still present a few weeks after childbirth and are hurting your body, you need to get it checked.

Thus, keep an eye out for the different moles that occur on your body’s surface during pregnancy. If they tend to hurt, get it checked before it gets malignant.

Also Read:

Boils during Pregnancy
Various Types Of Allergies during Pregnancy
How to Deal with Rashes in Pregnancy
Psoriasis in Pregnancy