Allison Williams Believed Her Moles Were Pimples — for 3 Years
(Image courtesy of Instagram/Allison Williams)
Girls star Allison Williams confessed on Instagram, with a close-up image of her face, that she’d mistaken moles for pimples for years. She captioned the photo, “Since this photo is SO close-up, I figured I would invite you to behold the mystery of skin: 2 mini moles that appeared on my cheek about 3 years ago. To my new pals: I’m so sorry that I picked at you obsessively for months before my dermatologist lightly shamed me & told me you weren’t zits.”
Considering how many times we’ve accidentally misdiagnosed a pimple in the past (don’t pretend that you haven’t!), Williams’s hilarious Instagram confession hits home. According to Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi, the founder and director of Capital Laser & Skin Care, an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Dermatology at the George Washington University Medical Center, this is a mistake more common than you may think. Since some moles can appear as skin-colored bumps on the skin, how can you tell the difference between an incoming pimple or a simple mole? “Facial moles are usually skin-colored, not red, and grow over many months to years,” explains dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi. “Any ‘pimple’ that doesn’t go away after two months is not a pimple — so stop squeezing them!”
So next time you’re checking on your skin, be wary of any new additions to the surface. Anything that grows rapidly but isn’t red or inflamed should be checked by a dermatologist as soon as possible. And, as much as you might want to pick at it: Don’t!
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