Really worried ? melanoma

[guilty19]

About 18 months ago, I noticed that  a flat mole on my leg, about 2mm in size, no very regular shaped, had a tan bit and and a darker brown bit. It wasn't a round shape, anyway went to GP , he said it was ok. I worried about it, saw a hair poking out and plucked it out, the pigment came off as well. It looked a bit scab like the next day, cleaned over with cotton wool and the whole thing came off,was pink underneath and healed normal.

I looked at the area the other day, and there is a very small tan bit pigment there, I am so scared that I picked off asuperficial spreading melanoma and now it has come back, and will have spread.

Would it have healed normally if it was melanoma? Would it have come off that easily.

Please reply soon, I am out of my mind
with worry.

Thank you.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Moles that have hairs on them are generally benign, as are those as small as yours.  I don't think you need to feel guilty about havingt picked it off, as that doesn't change the nature of the mole.  To allay your anxiety, which I think is unnecessarily intense, I suggest you see a dermatologist to evaluate this lesion and set things straight.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[guilty19]

Sory re above, I wasn't initially worried as the pigment came off so easily, but read on aninternet site that a sign of superficial spreading melanoma is friabilty, that itcan break off easily.

Thank you.