i have moles on various places on my body, but the ones on my face are the most noticeable. i've had this on mole on my lip for as long as i can remember. it's right on the edge of the red part, so people are always telling me i have food on my face. when i complained about this to my parents, they suggested i get it removed. when i was talking to the dermatologist about what would be required to have it removed, i decided not to do it. (essentially, they would remove a small chunk of skin and then put in a stitch to close it. it's not very dangerous surgery or anything, and they probably numb it up.) i decided i like my mole, because it's a part of me as much as my eye color or whatever. people who know me don't notice it or seem to care, and with close friends, i can share this funny story about the "food" on my face. with one person it has become sort of an inside joke. if they really bother you, it might be helpful to have them removed, and it wouldn't be very painful. i was considering this same decision and the choice i made was not to do it, but really you should decide for yourself.
one important thing i want to mention is that if you are fair-skinned or you tend to get moles, you should not try to ignore them!!! pay attention to where they are and what they look like. if you notice any changes, you should go to a dermatologist to have it checked out, because it might be skin cancer. my mother had malignant skin cancer, but fortunately she detected it early because she noticed a change.
here's the neumonic:
A: Asymmetry
B: jagged or uneven Borders
C: uneven Coloring
D: Diameter (larger moles are sometimes melanoma)
E: Evolution aka changes in moles over a short time
sorry for the long post, but i have been nagged about this for my whole life. i can't leave the house without being asked, "did you put on sunscreen?"
