A mole is an unwanted skin growth. It usually looks like a flat or raised bump that’s the color of your skin or darker. Most people get moles as a teenager or adult. Some moles are present at birth.

A mole is a colored spot on your skin caused by a high concentration of pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. The medical term for a pigmented mole is a melanocytic nevus, or simply nevus.

Moles form on your skin when clusters of melanocytes, or pigmented skin cells, grow in small, concentrated areas. They usually appear as colored bumps or spots that vary in shape and size and are ...