EN
Most often what causes concern is a mole that has changed: it has grown, darkened, changed shape or started to bother you. In itself such a finding is no reason to panic: most skin lesions turn out to be benign. But to know that for certain you need not a quick glance but a calm, methodical examination. It is that clarity people come to German dermatologists for.
When to show your skin to a specialist
What should give pause are moles that change over time: becoming asymmetrical, with irregular edges, uneven in colour, larger than five or six millimetres. A sore that will not heal, or a new lesion that was not there before, are also reasons to go. People with many moles, with heavy sun exposure in the past or with similar cases in the family should keep a particular eye on their skin. That does not mean something is wrong — it means it is worth checking.
Dermoscopy — examination under magnification
The main method is dermoscopy. The doctor examines the suspicious area through a special instrument with strong magnification and illumination, which shows the structure of the mole beneath the surface of the skin — what the naked eye cannot see. The procedure is painless and takes minutes.
Where there are many moles, digital mapping is used: the images are stored so that at the next visit they can be compared and the slightest change noticed. Such monitoring over time is often more important than a single examination — it shows not “how things are now” but “what is changing”. High-resolution skin ultrasound may be used to assess the depth of a lesion.
When a biopsy is needed
If the examination raises questions, histology settles them. The suspicious lesion is removed and its tissue examined under a microscope — only that gives a final answer as to whether it is benign. Often such a removal is treatment at the same time: a small lesion is taken away completely in one procedure.
If melanoma or another malignant process is confirmed, the doctor assesses whether neighbouring tissue and the lymph nodes are involved. For that, further investigations may be used — ultrasound, CT, MRI or positron emission tomography. The set is chosen to fit the situation rather than ordered all at once.
Why coming early matters so much
Skin cancer is a case where early detection changes a great deal: the sooner a change is noticed, the smaller and gentler the intervention. Early melanoma is often dealt with by one small excision. Regular checking of moles is therefore not about fear but about control: it brings reassurance in most cases and buys time in the few where time is genuinely needed.
This material is for information only and does not replace a consultation with a doctor. Which investigations are done, their extent and the interpretation of the results are determined individually after an examination at the clinic in person.