Why Khloé Kardashian is removing all of her freckles and moles
This just in: Khloé Kardashian is removing all of her freckles and moles. Didn't catch that? Allow us to repeat: In an effort to ward off future skin cancer scares, Khloé Kardashian is literally burning off her moles and freckles after a skin cancer fright earlier this year, and, of course, she filmed a portion of the in-office experience on Snapchat.
On Monday, the reality TV star took to the app to share a glimpse of the mole and freckle removal process during a session with her dermatologist, who she calls Nurse Jamie. "Nurse Jamie is burning off my moles, one by one," she says in the short clip. "So one day, I'm gonna be freckle- and mole-free." So why is the star so set on doing this? According to her a recent tweet, Kardashian said she has "literally a few hundred" spots, and was dying to get rid a majority of them due to insecurity. "I promise I'll still have some," she says. "But my back made me so insecure. I look like a Dalmatian lol just toning it down."
But because individually removing each and every spot in sight might seem like overkill, we wanted some expert advice on the matter. So we reached out to Howard Sobel, a dermatologist in New York City, to find out if Kardashian's skin treatments are helping—or hindering—her in the long run.
See photos of Khloe Kardashian through the years:
"Before removing moles and/or freckles from the skin, you must first meet with a dermatologist to evaluate and, if necessary, get a biopsy done to determine if the mole or freckle is cancerous," says Hobel. "If the biopsy comes back and shows sign of pre-cancer actinic dysplastic nevus (made up of abnormal cells) or melanoma, there are several ways to remove: You can have it removed with a laser treatment, a prescribed topical medication, or frozen off using liquid nitrogen. If is it a dysplastic nevus or melanoma, it needs to be surgically removed."
But for the star, having her spots removed seems to be more of an aesthetic measure, says Sobel, as freckles and moles only need to be removed after a dermatologist has determined them irregular. "If melanoma runs in your family, I recommend going for a skin screening one-to-two times per year," says Sobel. "Otherwise, a body screening each year will suffice. In the case that you see a freckle or spot show up—and it looks irregular or dark—go to your dermatologist for a further look."
Bottom line: No matter if you love or hate your freckles and moles, after you've had them checked out by your dermatologist and they're deemed safe, leave 'em. Your speckled spots help make who you are, so embrace them.
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