SkinRepublic

Dear Dr. Jen,

Are all growing moles on my face bad? I have a lot of moles and my mom wants to have all of them removed.

Suzie

Dear Suzie,

From a dermatologist’s point of view, all moles cannot be categorically viewed as bad. In some Chinese or Filipino beliefs though, some moles may be labeled as “bad luck.”  They may not necessarily be cancerous, but just considered to bring misfortune to the person having it.

That being said, you can approach any of your PDS dermas to have a quick mole scan.  This includes identifying the moles that are usually suspicious.  Some may need a biopsy, while some may just need some yearly supervision.  Your derma will likely measure the suspicious mole and take pictures.

As a general rule, the ABCs of bad moles can be followed.  A for asymmetry, B for irregular borders, C for varied color, D for diameter larger than 6mm and, lastly, some bleeding, itching or other evolution shall be considered moles that should be biopsied. It is advisable to have a dermatopathologist read the results for more specific identification of precancerous or cancerous lesions.

* * *

Dear Dr. Jen,

I have blisters on my toes from my shoes.  Consequently, they have turned an ugly shade of brown.  What is the fastest way to make them disappear?

Tina

Dear Tina,

Scars on your feet can be quite unsightly and won’t match any shade of pedicure. Depending of your budget and speed of scar removal, you have several options to explore. There is fast, faster and fastest.

For fast toe scar removal, stop wearing closed shoes for a few weeks.  Apply a strong bleaching cream mixed by the pharmacologist at your PDS derma every other day, and you will soon be sporting evenly-colored toes in about four short weeks.  For faster results, you’ll still have to stop wearing closed shoes and do the bleaching cream application.  You’ll have to throw in some weekly chemical peels in there to hasten making your toes fair. For fastest results, do a laser treatment that is specific for pigment removal.  This is the fastest but also the most costly of the procedures.

If you are not under any time pressure, go ahead and do the cream application.  With whatever option you do choose, you’ll still need to moisturize your toes daily, apply sunscreen on them and avoid foot spa scrubs that can irritate the scars further.

Dr. Tan is a diplomate of Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) and is affiliated with Perpetual Succour Hospital (PSH).  For information on PDS, check http://www.pds.org.ph/. For questions or concerns, please text to: 0932 857 7070; or email to: [email protected]; or call The Freeman: (032) 2531276, or PSH: (032) 233 8620 and 232 5929. Your inquiries will be forwarded to Dr. Tan.