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Can moles shrink?
When I was about nine, I first noticed a medium sized, raised, dark brown mole on my shoulder. Over time, it got lighter, but just recently I noticed it was really light. (Now it's mostly pink with a brown circle in the middle.) It doesn't look like melanoma - it's not red or raw or scaly. It's a normal mole that's just getting smaller. I read that hormonal birth control can sometimes cause this. Should I just calm down or talk to a doctor?
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I had one on my shoulder that went completely away. I kept putting E oil on it.
Yes, it is possible for moles to shrink. Some moles start out as flat brown spots, become slightly raised brown growths, then eventually lose their color and become soft light brown to pink over many years. However, skin cancers can also appear this way.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to tell a safe mole from a skin cancer. Whenever a mole changes or itches, even if doesn't look like melanoma, it's always best to make an appointment with a physician to have it checked, just to be safe.
The only way you will ever know is if you you have it removed and biopsied. I had a translucent-colored mole (like cauliflower, clear & you could see tiny blood vessel through it) that original dr thought was "nothing" because of its lack of color. I insisted on having it removed and biopsied, and it turned out to be amelanotic (colorless) melanoma. Better safe than always wondering.