Hi dids19

I'm sorry you are in this position and have a dermatology appointment.

The dermatologist will look at the mole with a dermascope, just like your doctor did. They will then decide if the mole needs removing for a biopsy (this is the only way to 100% know if it's malignant or not). They rarely do the removal at this appointment unless they have the staff & time available. They usually call you back to have it removed, under a local anaesthetic, as a day patient. You then have to wait a few weeks to get the results. At the first appointment they may also run their eyes across any other moles you have to make sure nothing else looks concerning. 

75% of results come back benign or dysplastic (also known as atypical or precancerous - these moles look concerning & can turn malignant in the future). The 25% that are melanoma are, in the main, early stage which means they have been caught quickly & are treatable with very little chance of a recurrence in the future.  

Whatever the results, please don't use sunbeds again as they raise your chance of getting melanoma significantly eg. by 60% (if first used when under 35).

Good luck and please let us know how you get on,

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)