What should you know about red spots moles?

Redness can follow rubbing from clothing, scratching, shaving, or an accidental knock. A spot beside a mole may be a separate pimple or irritated patch. Pay attention to asymmetry, an uneven edge, several colours, a firm or scaly surface, and whether the mark is changing. A mole can be harmless and still become irritated, but a new or evolving lesion cannot be identified reliably from colour alone. Comparing photographs taken in similar lighting can help show whether a change is real.

Do not cut, tie off, burn, or apply unprescribed removal products to a mole. Keep the area clean, reduce rubbing, and use sun protection. Book a dermatology review if redness persists after obvious irritation settles, or if the mole is new or changing. The clinician may examine it with magnification and discuss observation, a biopsy, Surgical Excision, or Mole Removal depending on its features and purpose. Cosmetic removal should follow assessment so a concerning lesion is not altered first.

Seek prompt assessment for a mole that bleeds, crusts, repeatedly forms a sore, becomes painful, grows, or develops a clear change in border or colour. Get urgent help for rapidly spreading redness with warmth, swelling, pus, fever, or severe pain, which can signal infection or a significant reaction. A red spot alone does not establish a diagnosis, and a mole that looks unusual should be examined rather than guessed at.

Does this look irritated or does it need dermoscopic review? Should it be photographed and monitored, sampled, or removed? If removal is advised, what method will preserve the specimen for examination and how should the wound be cared for?