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A member asked:
Can a flat small mole be scraped away with fingernail? i don't know if it was a mole or scab?
5 doctors weighed in across 3 answers
Wholly-A-Mole: Any lesion on the surface of the skin, if pendulous or hanging, can usually be safely "removed" by just about any means (fingernail, clippers, scissors, etc.) at your disposal, but to minimize scarring the sharper the instrument the better. A fingernail will likely be soiled with bacteria more than a sterile tool, so avoid scratching anything off the skin. A biopsy is better ; checks for cancer.
Answered 9/30/2015
4.1k views
Unclear question: Should you? It cause an infection, leave a bad scar, and you may miss an important diagnosis if it is a lesion that requires follow up in the future. Having said that, you will be the judge the results yourself or was it a mole? Not likely. If it was easily removed, it probably was a scab.
Answered 7/4/2015
4.1k views
Actinic Keratoses: There is a plaque of keratin (a protein found in the skin that prevents water or fluid absorption through the skin) that at times collects and can easily be scraped away.
Answered 5/3/2014
4.1k views
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