What Effect Does Ichthammol Have on Moles?

Ichthammol can be helpful to your skin, but use caution during application.

Most of the moles on a person's body appear within the first 20 years of life. Moles can appear under the skin or as a pigmented growth on the skin surface originating from pigmented skin cells called melanocytes. Some moles may increase the risk of skin cancer, of which melanomas are the deadliest. These tumors usually grow in or near moles.

Types of Moles

Congenital moles occur when a person is born. They can be tiny or large. People with congenital moles more than 20 centimeters wide face a higher risk of melanoma.

Atypical moles are usually larger than a pencil eraser and irregularly shaped. Colors vary: tan, red, brown, pink or a mixture of the four. Atypical moles are often hereditary and pose a higher melanoma risk.

Acquired moles appear after birth and the only time their presence is cause for alarm is when there are 50 or more of them. Then they have a higher chance of developing melanomas.

Mole Removal

A doctor may remove a mole when it is aesthetically displeasing or to reduce the risk of skin cancer. Dermatologists remove moles through excision or shaving. Excision involves cutting the mole away. The wound is stitched closed or cauterized to remove the mole completely. A dermatologist can shave a mole off if it's on the surface of the skin. Mole removal shouldn't be carried out at home as there are risks such as infection and nerve damage.

What Is Ichthammol?

Ichthammol is an ointment derived from sulfonated shale oil. A paraffin or beeswax base is used to create a salve that can be applied to the skin. It is also known as black salve, drawing salve or black ointment. It is generally known for its "drawing" effect.

The ointment is a traditional home remedy used to treat skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and acne, as well as insect stings or bites and removal of boils and splinters.

Usage of Ichthammol on Moles

Perhaps due to the belief it can draw out subdermal objects like boils and splinters, some people have attempted to remove moles with ichthammol. Ichthammol doesn't actually draw out splinters or boils; it softens the skin over the area for quicker splinter removal and so a boil comes to head more quickly.

However, a mole is part of the skin. Ichthammol can soften the surface of the mole and a scab may form with persistent application of the salve, leading to the perception that the mole has been removed.

Warnings

Ichthammol is corrosive in higher concentrations and should be used judiciously. Some consider escharotics like ichthammol to be cheap, alternative treatment for moles and tumors of the skin because of the thick scab it produces.

While there is quality control for Ichthammol, there are also salves contaminated with extremely corrosive sulfuric acid touted by unscrupulous agents as a skin cancer cure. While it's possible to "burn" a tumor off the superficial dermis, it doesn't guarantee that the malignancy has not metastasized, and can result in scarring and infection at best, and the complete loss of the epidermis, muscle and bone at worst.

References

• Ichthammol: An Overview
• Ichthammol: Application
• Stephen Barrett, M.D.: On Corrosive Cancer Salves

Resources

• Overview on Moles: WebMD