Moles on the skin are bothersome to some people because they can mar a smooth appearance. It is hard to ignore a blemish on your skin especially if someone else sees it. Most moles are noncancerous growths that do not require treatment or removal unless they change shape or darken, or unless you want to remove a mole to look better.
Heredity and Hormones
Many people are born with moles on the skin. The congenital mole occurs in about one in 100 people. Other people get moles over time. Fair-skinned children and teenagers are susceptible to forming moles because they do not have enough skin pigment to darken and protect the skin from the sun. Women can acquire moles when hormone levels change or when they become pregnant. Existing moles can get larger or darker. Some families have atypical (or dysplastic) moles, which puts them at higher risk for melanoma or skin cancer.
Sun Exposure
Along with light, the sun emits rays of natural ultraviolet (UV) radiation that are invisible, including ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB). Without skin protection, the rays penetrate the skin and damage the cells. UVA makes you tan, wrinkle, and age earlier and UVB makes you burn. Areas of the skin that receive too much sun exposure from UVA or UVB can develop moles, typically on the back, arms, legs or face. People who go to tanning salons are also at risk for developing moles at any life stage.
Clustered Melanocytes
The color of your skin is governed by a pigment known as melanin, manufactured by the body in cells called melanocytes, which are found in the top layer of the skin. In normal cell growth, the manufactured melanin gets distributed from these cells to the outer layer of the skin evenly. Sometimes the melanocytes grow into a cluster of cells, which causes a mole to appear on your skin.
