Mole

For as long as I remember, I’ve had a mole just above my mouth, on the right side of my face. In photos of my twin brother and I as a child, it’s the easiest way to tell us apart. When I was learning my left hand from my right, so I knew which hand to hold my pen when writing, I’d do a quick check on the mole to see which side of my face it sat.*

Of course, I know it mainly from looking in the mirror, so when I see it on a photo it always looks like it’s on the wrong side!

And, when taking and selecting promo photos, it always really stands out. Or at least it does to me. The other moles on my face, while just as dark, are never so large and prominent. I feel fine airbrushing them away, but when I airbrush the large mole above my lip? It just looks weird! It is obviously a big part of my self-perceived identity.

This photo is one like I just described… I took out the mole, but then hit ctrl-Z until it returned.

Also visible on this photo is the fact the “parting” on my eyebrow hair isn’t in between my eyebrows, but part way along my right eyebrow… it’s amazing how well you get to know your own face after 29 years.

Which is why, now something has changed, it keeps catching my eye, though 99.9999% of other people will never notice. Here’s the story:

1. Shaving the mole is always a bit tricky. I sometimes cut it.
2. A large spot appeared directly on the mole.
3. I shaved, and sliced the top of the spot right off.
4. This small wound bled a lot, and took ages to stop.
5. I must admit I picked at the scab a bit.
6. A week or so later, the scab crumbled away in the highly satisfying way that scabs tend to do.

The result? The mole is now made up of some kind of scar tissue. It has lost a lot of its colour, and while the size is the same, it has lost a lot of its definition. The sharp edges have blurred, if you will. Check out this photo I just took:

Compare it to the mole on my cheek. These two moles used to be the same colour! I don’t think it’ll ever return either, so I guess I’ve got to get used to my new face.

* To be honest, I still do this sometimes.

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