Moles Prevention

Prevention

To help prevent benign moles from becoming atypical (and possibly cancerous):

• Avoid spending too much time in the sun.
• Protect your skin from the sun. For example, wear a shirt, wide brim hat, and sunglasses.
• Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.

To detect atypical or cancerous moles early:

• Monitor your moles, especially atypical ones.
• Report any changes in a mole to your doctor.
• Have your doctor check and monitor atypical moles on a regular basis. Have moles checked more often if you have:
  • A large number of atypical moles
  • A family or personal history of atypical moles that develop into melanoma

Have moles removed if your doctor recommends it.