Many people delay getting a mole or skin lesion checked because they’re not sure who to see, or NHS dermatology waits are long. The vast majority of skin lesions turn out to be benign — but the small number that aren’t are highly treatable when caught early. A 15-minute private assessment puts your mind at rest, or starts treatment if needed.
Educational information — not a substitute for clinical assessment
This page describes skin lesions and moles in general terms to help you decide whether assessment may be helpful. It is not a diagnostic tool. If you recognise yourself in what follows, please book a consultation.
Most moles, freckles, and skin marks you have are entirely benign. They’ve probably been there for years and won’t cause any trouble. The skin lesions worth getting checked are those that have changed, or that have features that don’t fit the usual pattern.
The general principle: get checked anything that’s changing. Even if it turns out to be benign (which it usually will), an expert eye is worth the peace of mind.
new cases of melanoma diagnosed in the UK each year. Caught early it’s highly treatable; caught late it’s life-threatening. Most concerning lesions turn out to be benign — but checking is what matters.
A widely used framework for assessing a mole. If a mole shows any of these features, get it checked:
Of these, E (evolving) is the single most important. A mole that was stable for years and has now started changing deserves prompt assessment.
Beyond ABCDE, look at your moles overall. Most of a person’s moles tend to look similar to each other. A mole that looks distinctly different from the others — an "ugly duckling" — is worth getting checked, even if it doesn’t individually meet ABCDE criteria.
Many skin marks people worry about turn out to be entirely harmless:
"Stuck on" looking warty growths, often brown or black, particularly common from 40s onwards. Completely benign but can mimic melanoma to the untrained eye. Removed easily if cosmetically bothersome.
Soft, often flesh-coloured projections from the skin, particularly in skin folds (neck, armpits, groin). Harmless. Can be removed if irritating.
Bright red small dots, particularly on the trunk. Increase with age. Benign.
"Age spots" or "liver spots" — flat, brown patches on sun-exposed skin. Benign but a marker of significant sun exposure.
Small, firm bumps, often on the legs, that dimple when pinched. Benign.
Soft, often slow-growing lumps under the skin. Benign but sometimes become infected and need treatment.
Soft, mobile fatty lumps under the skin. Benign.
Most adults have 10–40 moles. They’re usually uniformly coloured, round or oval, smaller than 6mm, and stable over time. Most don’t turn into anything serious.
The three main types of skin cancer:
The most serious. Can arise from existing moles or as new lesions. Spreads if untreated, but highly curable if caught early. The ABCDE features above describe melanoma. Risk factors: fair skin, history of sunburns (especially in childhood), many moles, family history, immunosuppression.
The most common skin cancer overall. Slow-growing, locally destructive, but very rarely spreads beyond the skin. Often appears as a pearly nodule or non-healing sore. Almost always curable with appropriate treatment.
Less common than BCC, more likely to spread if not treated. Often appears as a scaly, crusted, sometimes ulcerated lesion on sun-exposed skin. Curable with appropriate treatment but more urgent than BCC.
Rough, scaly patches on sun-exposed skin in older patients. Some progress to SCC over time. Treatable with various methods.
Looking at the lesion of concern carefully and, if you have many moles or wish, performing a full skin examination. A chaperone is offered and standard for full skin examinations — see our Chaperone Policy.
A dermoscope is a hand-held device with magnification and polarised light that shows features of moles invisible to the naked eye. It significantly improves accuracy of clinical diagnosis. Painless, takes a minute or two per lesion.
For moles that look benign but you want to monitor, we can photograph them for comparison at a future appointment. This is helpful for people with many moles.
Based on examination, dermoscopy, and your history, we either:
Treatment depends on what the lesion is and where it is.
Treatment depends on type, size, and location. Most BCCs are treated with surgical excision; some respond to creams or photodynamic therapy. Melanoma requires specialist surgical management and sometimes additional treatment. We coordinate referrals to dermatology and plastic surgery as needed.
Most skin cancers are largely preventable. Key measures:
Book an appointment if:
A focused 15–20 minute appointment for one lesion, or 30 minutes for a full skin check. We examine, use dermoscopy, discuss what we see, and either reassure, monitor, or arrange removal.
Not usually. If the lesion needs removal, this is arranged as a separate minor surgery appointment within a week or two. If it’s suspected to be melanoma, we refer urgently rather than removing it ourselves.
All surgical removal leaves some mark. We use careful technique to minimise scarring; cosmetic outcome is generally good but no removal is scarless.
Consultation cost is on our Fees page. Removal procedures are quoted separately depending on size, location, and complexity. Histology (laboratory examination of removed tissue) is included where indicated.
Urgent specialist referral, usually within days. We follow you up to make sure the referral is being acted on. Early-stage melanoma is highly curable with prompt surgical management.
Total body photography is reasonable if you have many moles or atypical moles, multiple risk factors, or strong family history. We can discuss whether this fits you.
Most UK PMI policies cover removal where there’s clinical suspicion (i.e. where biopsy is justified). Cosmetic removals are typically not covered. We can provide procedure codes for your insurer.
These are general dermatology rather than skin lesion concerns — see our dermatology page or book a private GP appointment for assessment and treatment.
Care at MHW Clinic is delivered by a small clinical team, with Dr Haydar Bolat as Clinical Director. The specific clinicians involved in your care depend on the plan agreed with you at consultation.
UK-registered GP and Clinical Director at MHW, with experience in dermoscopic examination and minor skin surgery. Conducts skin lesion assessment, photographic documentation, and refers urgently for specialist dermatology where features suggest skin cancer.
View profileLanguages spoken across the team: English, Turkish, Bulgarian, Bengali, Hindi, Albanian, Azerbaijani, German, Romanian. We can also arrange professional telephone interpreters in most other languages at no extra cost. More on languages and interpreters →
This page was reviewed by Dr Haydar Bolat, Clinical Director at MHW Clinic. Content is based on NICE Guideline NG12 (Suspected cancer: recognition and referral), British Association of Dermatologists guidance, and current UK clinical practice and current UK clinical practice. It is updated when guidance changes. Educational information only — not a substitute for clinical assessment.
Most concerns turn out to be nothing. The ones that aren’t are best caught early. Book a dermoscopy appointment this week.