Mole assessment
Understand mole changes, assessment limitations and when to contact your GP promptly. Ask Willoway about current assessment arrangements.
A new or changing mole can be worrying. This page explains how to seek an assessment and when to contact your GP. A clinic assessment is for discussion and is not a diagnosis or a substitute for NHS care.
An assessment can consider the changes you have noticed and whether further medical review is needed. A photograph or online enquiry cannot reliably confirm that a mole is harmless. If a mole changes or concerns you, contact your GP promptly rather than waiting for a private review.
When to seek medical advice
Contact your GP promptly if a mole changes in size, shape or colour, becomes painful or itchy, or is inflamed, bleeding or crusty. A new or unusual mark that persists should also be checked. Melanoma can occur on any area of skin, including palms, soles and under nails. Do not wait for a private or online review if you are concerned; NHS guidance recommends GP assessment for these changes.
What an assessment can and cannot do
A clinician may ask about the spot and its changes, examine it, and discuss whether further assessment is needed. The exact consultation method and any onward referral arrangements at Willoway have not been confirmed. An assessment is not a cancer diagnosis and cannot guarantee that a lesion is safe. If cancer is a concern, NHS or specialist assessment may be needed.
Before considering removal
A mole should not be removed or treated for cosmetic reasons until its suitability has been assessed. Suspicious or changing lesions need medical assessment rather than cosmetic treatment. Cryotherapy is not appropriate for an unassessed suspicious mole; treatment can also cause blistering, temporary or lasting colour change, and occasionally scarring. Ask a qualified clinician about options and risks for the particular lesion.
Checking your skin
Notice changes over time, including asymmetry, uneven edges, more than one colour, growth or other change. These signs do not establish a diagnosis. If something looks different from your other marks or concerns you, contact your GP rather than relying on a checklist or photograph. Use sun protection, including shade, covering clothing and sunscreen, and avoid sunbeds.
When to seek medical help
Changing, bleeding, itchy, painful, inflamed or crusty mole? Contact your GP promptly. A web enquiry is not clinical triage, diagnosis or clearance; do not delay medical care while waiting for a reply. Use NHS 111 for urgent advice, or 999 for a life-threatening emergency.
Your questions
Can an online photograph tell me whether a mole is cancerous?
No. A photograph or web enquiry cannot diagnose or clear a mole. If it has changed, bleeds, itches, hurts or looks unusual, contact your GP for medical assessment.
What should I do if my mole is changing or bleeding?
Contact your GP promptly and explain the change or bleeding. Do not wait for a cosmetic appointment or rely on a private screening service instead of NHS assessment.
Can a mole be frozen off?
Cryotherapy suitability depends on the lesion and should only be considered after appropriate clinical assessment. It must not be used on an unassessed suspicious mole. Blistering, colour changes and scarring are possible.
What would a Willoway assessment include?
Please ask about the assessment method, any imaging or specialist review, fees and referral arrangements. A branded mole-review service or dermatologist partnership is not confirmed here.
Your next step
Ask about current availability, fees and the scope of any appointment. This page provides general information, not an individual assessment or confirmation of a particular treatment, test or specialist partnership.
Ask about an assessment
