Dysplastic Nevi - a.k.a. Atypical Moles

Hello everyone! I'm sorry it's been a few days since my last post, I've been busy setting up my new business venture! I am so excited to announce that I have partnered with the Drs. who created ProActiv in an unbelievable business opportunity to not only address acne - but also combat aging skin, reverse the signs of sun damage and repair sensitive skin! As you all know, I started this blog to share with everyone my personal skin cancer scare, and to stress the importance of protecting your skin.  I responded to a post on Facebook from Marie-Lynn Piscitelli, a beautiful and fabulous make-up artist, who is also the current Miss Connecticut USA! She is a skincare consultant for Rodan + Fields Dermatologists, and after speaking with her, we came to the conclusion that this business venture would be perfect for me! We are now business partners, and I am so excited to be working with her! On top of writing about the importance of protecting your skin, the dangers of tanning, different types of skin cancer etc; I will also be writing about all of Rodan + Fields amazing products and the wonderful business opportunity of working with Rodan + Fields! I can't wait for you all to read about the products and our company, as you won't find any products in a department or drug store that are this effective!


For today's blog, I am going to be writing about Dysplastic Nevi, also known as atypical moles.  This particular pre-cancerous lesion hits home for me, as I have had two atypical moles surgically removed. I have had a total of three moles removed, however one of them came back as normal, thank God for that! Dyplastic Nevi are unusual looking benign moles, however they may resemble melanoma. Individuals who have these atypical moles are at an increased risk of developing melanoma, in single or multiple forms.  The more atypical moles you have, the higher your risk of melanoma increases. Those who have 10 or more of these moles (which I do) have TWELVE times the risk of developing melanoma, compared to the normal population. According to medical reports, about 2-8% of the Caucasian population have these atypical moles. Heredity is definitely a factor, as those who have atypical moles AND have a family history of melanoma have an extremely high risk of developing melanoma during their lifetime.  Individuals who have dysplastic nevi, but not a family history of melanoma still face a 7 to 27 times higher risk for developing melanoma when compared to the general population (EEK! Scary!)  If you believe that you have any atypical moles, I STRONGLY suggest you make an appointment with your dermatologist to get a full-body skin exam.  Also, daily sun protection is a MUST! I can't stress that enough!

Some individuals have so many moles on their body, ranging from normal to atypical, that they are classified as having "Classic" Atypical Mole Syndrome.  People with "classic" atypical mole syndrome have 3 characteristics: having 100 or more moles, one or more moles which are atypical, and one or more moles that measure 8 mm (1/3 inch) or larger in diameter.

You definitely need to know your skin! I highly suggest getting familiar with all of the moles on your skins surface, as you can minimize your risk for melanoma by doing so.