Flat red moles: what to know

Cherry angiomas are small growths made of grouped blood vessels. They can appear as bright red, burgundy or purplish spots and may be flat or slightly raised. A spot can bleed if it is rubbed or scratched. Other vascular marks and pigmented lesions can look similar, so colour alone is not enough to identify it.

A clinician considers the spot's surface, border, colour, location and evolution. Looking at earlier photographs may help show whether it is stable, but an image cannot replace an examination.

Leave the area alone and avoid picking or repeatedly rubbing it. Use sun protection on exposed skin and record any change in a dated photograph. Book a routine assessment for a new or cosmetically troubling spot, especially if you are unsure whether it is a mole or another type of lesion.

If treatment is suitable after assessment, options can include Pulsed Dye Laser Treatment or Electrosurgery. The choice depends on the lesion, its position, skin characteristics and the clinician's examination. Treatment can still leave temporary redness or a mark, so discuss aftercare beforehand.

Arrange prompt review if the red spot changes quickly, develops an irregular edge, becomes persistently painful, bleeds without clear trauma, crusts or does not heal. Seek urgent help for heavy bleeding that will not stop with firm pressure. These signs are reasons for assessment, not a diagnosis by themselves.

Ask whether the mark is consistent with a cherry angioma, whether it needs monitoring or testing, which treatment fits its location, how many visits may be needed, and how to protect the treated skin while it heals.