Picking at moles? - Cancer Message Board

Kite · 12-27-2004, 01:20 AM

I know this is probably a stupid question but when I was younger I heard somewhere that picking moles will give you cancer and its kinda stuck in my mind for years and years. I know thats probably not true but is there any bad side effects to picking/cutting moles?

NancyH · 12-27-2004, 04:03 PM

Well it is definately a no no picking moles, there is an increase of infection sometimes. I've heard that same thing abut picking moles can lead to cancer, but I think they mean if it is a precancerous mole to begin with there is the danger of infiltrating. Now that is all hearsay from that same ole line but there is always a grain of truth to some of these myths. Just leave them alone.

MaryAnn · 12-27-2004, 07:21 PM

I too had heard that story. A couple years ago, my son got scratched and the mole actually came off! I panicked and took him to the doctor and the doc said it's nothing to worry about. He said the mole may or may not grow back. His didn't. Not to say that picking moles is something that you should do, but I think the cancer thing is an old wives tale.