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Black Dot Appeared After Mole Removal

asked 7 months ago by Grad Student in NY in Central NJ
Latest answer by Philip Young, MD
Question viewed 364 times
Tags: causes, dark spots, worried

About a month ago a dermatologist removed a colorless raised mole from my back, with a scalpel, when I requested. The mole was benign. Now a flat black dot has appeared where the mole was. The area has not been exposed to the sun and other than the dot it appears to be healing well. What could cause the appearance of pigmentation where none has ever been and is this something I should go get checked out?

4 answers to Black Dot Appeared After Mole Removal

+2

Black dot after mole removal

An small, central area of hyperpigmentation is common after a shave excision. This is because the mole is actually "shaved off" at a level just below the surface of the skin. If the biopsy results show it to be cancerous or pre-cancerous then a second step, a complete excision with uninvolved margins, is necessary to ensure its complete removal. The mole will rarely regrow and the appearance with the central dark spot should not be objectionable. If the black dot grows... more
Mitchell Schwartz, MD

South Burlington Dermatologic Surgeon

dorsetstreetdermatology.com

+2

Black dot in scar after mole removal

Normal moles have a maturation process. They start out as flat pigmented (brown or tan) spots, that eventually become raised and flesh-colored. Trauma to the mole, such as a scratch or any surgery, can stimulate the melanocytes (cells that make up the mole) to produce pigment again. Raised benign moles usually have two components: one above the skin surface and one below. When a mole is shaved off the surface of the skin, the deeper component remains. The removal itself stimulates the... more
Emily Altman, MD

Short Hills Dermatologic Surgeon
+1

Black dot after removal

This is likely a recurrence of the mole. If it was removed with a scalpel, the question is how it was done. Was the mole shaved off or excised by cutting it out? If it was shaved the recurrence is very high, almost guaranteed. The recurrence can even occur with excision. It depends on how much of a margin you take with the mole sometimes as well. If you the margins are 3 mm the recurrence is low teens, 4mm high single digits, 5mm lower single digits, percentage wise. Below is a video... more
Philip Young, MD

Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Pigment Appears After Mole Removal

The good news is that the lab test showed the mole was benign. That being the case you don't need to do anything. Over the next year you should expect the darkness to fade naturally. What may have caused this to happen? Even flesh colored moles have pigment cells. When the top is removed the root of the mole below is triggered to try to re-grow another mole. Since it can't, the pigment production is the best it can do.
T. Wayne Day, MD

Nashville Dermatologic Surgeon

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