Asymmetrical Moles: Melanoma or Just Lentigines? #shorts

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00][laughter] >> Now, this is where it gets kind of tricky because like this one in the middle, like it is pretty asymmetrical and people might think, "Oh, that's a mole." But if it's melanoma, um lentigines or the singular is lentigo, they can very commonly be asymmetrical in the borders. Um we call it like a moth-eaten appearance. It kind of looks like a moth took a bite out of it. And that is very common. It's not concerning. However, there is a type of malignant form called lentigo maligna, which is obviously concerning, but um don't just assume that because it's asymmetrical that it's worrisome.

[00:00:41]>> But it's so important to be evaluated by your dermatologist or team because we want to make sure that, you know, they're completely normal. They're just lentigines, um background sun damage.

[00:00:52]They aren't anything concerning like a pigmented lesion um that's concerning for like an atypical mole or melanoma because that is a big no-no. I had a patient Well, she wasn't my patient, but um at my previous practice where she came in and she had had a spot on her face lasered multiple times and it was melanoma. And she was young. She was maybe 40. And she had a huge scar.

[00:01:15]>> Oh my god, that scares me.

[00:01:17]>> And how is this differentiated from freckles or ephelides?

[00:01:22]Freckles are usually like tiny um circular, very even um I guess in the shape. Um typically there's a little more genetic component to that. They can You can get more with sun, but um these are more like I guess more common to get over time. So it's it's more common like Yeah, with the older age, I guess.

[00:01:53]>> um you know, can often get freckles and with especially with lighter skin types.

[00:01:57]um so we do see that a lot. And you mentioned um liver spots and like that that is called liver spots. It's a very southern thing.

[00:02:07]>> [laughter] >> there's actually no correlation to the liver. It's not concerning at all. I think the reason why they called them liver spots is because they have the same color Mhm. as a liver. But it doesn't mean that you have like a liver abnormality or anything.

[00:02:22]>> Yeah. That's a good point to bring up cuz I do think people Yeah. So those are our lentigines.