What's With That?

Answers to life's little questions

Q: What causes moles? What's the difference between moles and freckles? If moles are created by sun exposure, how is it that I now have moles in places that rarely, if ever, saw the sun?

— Margaret Dula, Lenoir, N.C.

A: Margaret, you and your moles are not alone. Everyone has them, sometimes 40 or more.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, moles are caused by an abundance of pigment cells in the skin. Sun exposure does increase and darken them. But moles often appear where the sun don't shine.

Some women get new moles, or their moles grow or darken as a result of birth control pills or pregnancy.

Freckles are different in that they're smaller, and may fade completely in the winter. Freckles ordinarily are limited to sun-exposed areas.

So why is it that a small mole on the face of a great beauty like Marilyn Monroe or Cindy Crawford seems to only add to her attractiveness? "Beauty marks" and even piercings to give the same effect have been fashioned by those wanting this look.

Experts say it's because our idea of beauty is based on symmetry —everything is perfectly balanced. On a face like Monroe's or Crawford's all the parts seem exactly even.

Then a sexy little dot slightly throws off that balance, adding mystery and sex appeal. The mole becomes the dot below an exclamation point.

The majority of moles are not cancerous. But you should see a doctor about any spot that changes in size, shape or color, or that becomes painful, or first appears after the age of 20.

—Jeff Elder, KRT Campus