Question: My 14 year old daughter went for her annual physical to play sports and the pediatrician suggested she have a dermatologist look at her mole on the right side of her abdomen. She's had it for as long as I can remember. She remembers when she was 8 or 9 that she picked at it for whatever reason (because it was there basically!) and made it bleed. We put neosporin on it and it heeled fine and hadn't thought about it since. (6-8 years ago?)

As far as I know it hasn't changed in size. She has never been badly sun burned and no family history of skin cancer. She has just this one mole that I know of other than a tiny birthmark on her forehead that's also been there as long as I can remember. I asked pediatrician privately why she thought it should be looked at and she said because it was dark and slightly irregular on the one side. But she said she is fairly certain it is nothing to worry about. Just thought a derm. should look at it and maybe take a photo to monitor it for changes.

I called my wife's dermatologist and she's booked up for 2 months. So I called the pediatrician back to ask for a referral of someone else good who might not be so busy and she said that we could wait the 2 months, that it didn't look "bad" to her.

My daughter has no health problems, 5'6" tall, 150lbs. Athletic build. She has dark blonde hair and green eyes but not really light skinned. She doesn't sun bath but she will XXXXXXX playing softball etc.

Was hoping you could give me an idea if this looks like a normal mole. (will upload photo I took with XXXXXXX next to it to show size. It is smaller than a pencil eraser for sure.)


I actually found out tonight that she has several "moles" that are similar in color/size to this one. Never noticed. on her shoulders. All dark colored and look "normal" to my eye. She says she's had them all "forever" and they haven't changed at all and are never itchy and never have bled. So I guess in total she has about 8-10 darker colored moles. She said the pediatrician saw the one because that is where she lifted her shirt up.

Thank you so much. Do i still need to take her to a Dermatologist to look at it? If i do and they want to sample/biopsy it should i ask to wait and see? My fear is once i bring her in they will want to remove it "just to be safe" or something.

The slightly irregular edge is not a problem? I've looked at so many mole pictures the last few days my head is spinning!

Thank you

Ok, now i'm a little confused. If you are sure this is a normal mole why would i need to take her for a biopsy? You said to just watch it for 6 months then you said a biopsy would be better. I don't want to put her through that if you are sure this is a normal mole. Which is it?

Thank you. Sorry for being so stubborn. If it were myself I would have taken your first response and that would have been it. But when it's your daughter... Last thing... as far a watching it for 6 months. I know that moles in children sometimes enlarge. Am I looking for ANY change or a significant change? Also, is there something about the photo that makes you suggest I watch it or would you just watch any mole like this?

Thanks again so much.