Expert Mole Check for Alice Hart-Davis

Skincare & Tweakments Journalist

Founder of thetweakmentsguide.com

Alice Hart-Davis shared her experience of having a mole check at Cosmedics Skin Clinics with Dr Ross Perry in a video that has been viewed over 26k times already on YouTube. 

She says:

“So I went for a mole-check with Dr Ross Perry of Cosmedics (before you ask, he’s not a dermatologist, but is a GP with a special interest in dermatology and many years experience at managing skin conditions).

“This video is him talking me through what we all need to know about moles, and particularly about checking our own moles, and how often we need to do it. What we need to keep an eye out for is a new mole, or a mole that’s growing fast, or suddenly looking different, and they can be anywhere from the hairline to the soles of our feet.

“Also, how much sun exposure do we need to get for vitamin D production, and how do we balance that with protecting our skin from the sun.”

Types of skin cancer

Dr Perry explains:

“There are basically 2 types of skin cancer.

“There’s melanoma skin cancer, which is the dark ugly moles, and those are the ones that are most worrying… they’re the ones that can spread and ultimately the ones that are are more likely to cause problems.

“You then have non-melanoma skin cancer, which is predominantly more related to chronic sun exposure. So that typically occurs in fair skinned individuals and that does occur in sun-exposed sites, so your face, your arms, your shoulders and particularly episodes of sunburn.”

He continues:

“so many more people having skin cancer, not necessarily melanoma, but non-melanoma skin cancers because people are living longer and they’ve had chronic exposure to sun, particularly the baby boomer era, and so as a result we’re seeing a lot more of these types of skin cancers.”

“The melanoma type of skin cancer is also rising as well, but not at the same rate that it once was and we’re diagnosing the moles earlier, purely on the basis that people’s awareness is much better now.

“…melanoma is still going up, but the rate of our detection is going up as well. We’re catching them much earlier now than we ever used to, so actually the mortality rate of melanoma is relatively stable.

How to spot a melanoma

Dr Ross Perry explains:

“Most people have these preconceptions of what a melanoma is; and that is often an itchy mole that sticks out of the skin, and that’s what most patients will come in and say ‘I’ve got this bobbly mole that’s irritating and itchy, is that the worrying one’

“Often in cases it’s on an area that rubs or itches and causes that type of discomfort. Those are not really the worrying moles. The worrying moles tend to be the new moles that you’ve never seen before, that are flat and dark. 70% of all melanomas are a brand new moles. So 30% of them are from an existing mole, however, you’re more likely to get a brand new mole that is going to develop into a melanoma – and that’s one thing that people just don’t realise. So when they’re looking at their moles they’re always looking at the old moles; but actually what we’re looking for is a brand new mole that is changing more rapidly.”

Ross says that the best way to identify a worrying mole is often by comparing it to the normal ones you are already familiar with. He goes on:

“I think for the majority of us who have just a few moles, you’re going to be able to see what’s an abnormal mole by comparing it to your other moles and so that’s why when normally should be examining yourself you should then basically be in front of the mirror in your underwear or having just got out of the shower so you can compare them, that’s the beauty of having moles on your body – you can compare all the ones that you do have as existing moles vs any potential new ones.

“What you’re looking for is what we call the ‘ugly duckling’ sign – so it’s the mole that just looks different from all your other moles and that has changed quicker than all your other moles.”

He stressed that melanomas can appear anywhere on the body as they are not directly caused by sun exposure – that’s why it’s so important to check thoroughly everywhere.

“You do need to just be aware of your whole body and that’s something I always suggest to patients that they check themselves every 2-3 months and it only takes 30 seconds literally looking everywhere and it’s always the innocuous areas that patients can turn up to our clinics in – back of the arm, inner part of the thigh – all these sorts of areas the patients don’t ever look at.”

What to do in case of a suspicious mole

Alice asked what people should do if they found something worrying and had concerns about their skin. Ross replied:

“In the initial instance, the GPs are always a good starting point and if the GPs are worries, because there are so many moles that people can be worried about it’s a minefield in terms of trying to decipher the nuances of what’s an abnormal mole vs a normal mole. GPs have a basic training which will basically give them a filter to refer onwards.

“If patients are worried and they’ve seen their GP, been reassured it’s OK – if things are still not resolving or they’re getting worse or changing shape or size then they need to revisit them and then push their point a little bit more if they’re concerned.”

Tweakments Practitioner

Alice Hart-Davis concludes:

“Alongside mole-spotting, Dr Perry is also a dab hand at non-surgical cosmetic procedures, and you’ll find him on my register on www.thetweakmentsguide.com.”

Read in full at https://thetweakmentsguide.com/practitioners/dr-ross-perry/

dr-ross-perryDr Ross Perry

Dr Perry is renowned as an expert in removal of skin lesions. He has removed thousands of moles in his role as Medical Director and founder of Cosmedics Skin Clinics including the London mole Removal Centre.

His career includes working in the NHS both in skin cancer reconstruction and as a GP, so he is experienced and expert in diagnosing skin lesions and providing the best possible advice/treatment.

Private Mole Checks & Removal

The London Mole Removal Centre is a private company, offering diagnosis and treatment for skin lesions including moles, cysts, skin tags, warts, verruca, lipoma, xanthelasma, milia. All consultations and treatments are carried out in person by doctors who are specially trained in the latest laser and skin surgery techniques and are highly experienced in the field. Patients benefit from:

  • No waiting lists
  • Fully trained doctors, registered with GMC
  • Blemishes can usually be removed in the same appointment as the consultation, saving the need for a repeat visit and allowing patients to get very quick treatment
  • Choice of 4 clinics in London plus one in Bristol
  • Testing with report provided where necessary

For more information or to book a consultation, please complete the form on this web page or call 020 7731 3791.