Samuel E Steinmetz, MD

What are Warts and Moles?

Moles are small collections of nerve-like cells some of which make melanin pigment giving them a brown color. Some moles lack pigment and are flesh colored instead of being brown. The reason we dermatologists are concerned about moles is that sometimes they turn into a cancer called melanoma.

A wart is a small, rough growth resembling a cauliflower or a solid blister. It typically occurs on hands or feet but often in other locations as well. There are as many as 10 varieties of warts, the most common considered to be mostly harmless. It is possible to get warts from others; they are contagious and usually enter the body in an area of broken skin