Sudden change in existing mole

I am a 29 year old female with fair skin and dark hair, family history of precancerous growths.  I have a fairly large, tan mole in the middle of my upper back, which has a smaller, pinkish colored mole on the top edge of it.  I have had the larger one for as long as I can remember and the smaller, pink one for about ten years.  Both have been looked at by dermatologists more than once and I've been told not to worry.  

In fact, in my last visit in May with a reputable dermatologist - who actually has answered questions on this site, I was told that the moles were not cancerous and would never be cancer (not to a complete certainty but the impression was they were definitely nothing to be concerned about).  

Well, this morning I noticed that the water from the shower was irritating an area on my back as if I had a cut, and I realized it was hitting the smaller, pinkish mole and it was much more sensitive/painful than usual.  I touched and looked at it and it has definitely grown and gotten more red since I last looked.   It is growing by becoming more elevated and round, rather than by expanding outward on the surface into more skin.  It seems to have happened suddenly as I keep a fairly close eye on the spot and definitely did not notice any irritation yesterday in the shower or when putting suncreen on over the weekend.  

I know changes and growth in existing moles can be a red flag, but considering I was told three months ago not to worry about this mole, could this either be a normal change or some kind of inflammation/injury that I just didn't notice at the time it occurred?   Should I wait a couple of weeks to see if it goes back to the way it was?  Or should I make another appointment just in case?

Thank you!  

[Jasmina Jankicevic, MD, MSc, CCRP]

Welcome to the Dermatology Expert Forum!

It is very likely that physical injury (with post-traumatic inflammatory reaction) is the cause. If that is the case, and you protect affected area from further injuries, current lesions should resolve in a week. Even in such a case, it would be good to see your dermatologist, talk about what happened and clinically reevaluate the moles. If any suspicions on physicians or on your side, biopsy/excision would be a justified choice.

Wishing You Optimal Health,
Dr. Jasmina Jankicevic