Holy Moley Matt Damon

Actor and Oscar-winning screenwriter Damon is haunting in his successful film "Good Will Hunting." It takes little hunting to find his numerous moles. It has been shown that families with irregularly colored moles (called dysplastic moles) have increased rates of melanoma skin cancer. A recent study has also established that people with many moles (dysplastic or not) are also at higher risk for melanoma. People with moles should have them checked periodically, especially if any change in shape, size or color.
 

So just what are those spots on Gwyneth Paltrow's forehead?

What are these spots which are consistently visible in Paltrow's films? Could they be warts contracted during one of the starlet's affairs? Precancerous tumors elicited by sun exposure to this actor's fair skin? Lesions of leprosy acquired while shooting in New Delhi? To the surprise of no one, Skinema.com has been besieged with server-clogging e-mail demanding the resolution of this mystery. We at the website met in overtime board meetings debating how to address this media onslaught. Several of the staff overdosed on cafe lattes and are still in recovery with the aid of nicotine patches. Obviously, the will of the web won out. MP3 recorded drum roll please. Ms. Paltrow's forehead lesions are...moles.

These moles may not be particularly large or striking, but anything about the phenomenon known to many as merely Gwyneth catches the eye. Though the forehead is not the most aesthetically desirable place to have a mole (think Cyclops territory), her two forehead moles are often hard to see. As is common with facial moles, the pigment cells are deep, so the mole itself is flesh-colored. It is highly unlikely that this type of fleshy mole would be pre-cancerous. Clearly her countenance is not quite as defect-free as the Oscar award that she received, but there is no need to make a mountain out of these moles. Whew! With that cleared up, international e-commerce can resume and life at our little web site can return to its hectic but survivable pace!

Russell Crowe: Maximus has a maximal multitude of moles

 

Much of the success of the film "Gladiator" is due to the efforts of actor Russell Crowe. No one questions Crowe's dedication to the craft. With each role, he attempts to inhabit the character rather than just "phone it in." (Insert own phone-throwing scandal joke here). We admit it would be hard to "phone in" a role in cellular-free Ancient Rome--no wonder he also got an Oscar! That statuette matches his  award at Skinema.com. He certainly has his share of moles, likely souvenirs from his childhood growing up in New Zealand and Australia. Moles are thought to develop from a genetic predisposition, but enhanced by early sun exposure. What moles we've seen on Crowe appear benign: evenly colored, sharply bordered, and small. Of particular note is the large mole between his eyebrows. This represents another dermal mole, with pigment cells resting deep so the mole is large, protuberant, yet flesh colored. Certainly not the classic beauty mark, it will be interesting to see if Crowe ever elects to have it removed. If this lesion grows any larger, tabloids might start making third eye comments. If he does desire excision, we recommend a sterile scalpel rather than rusty Roman blade.

Julia Roberts, arguably Hollywood's biggest box office draw, displays one of tinsel town's tiniest lesions. Most cite Roberts' winning smile as a major asset, but we at skinema.com feel that her subtle mole plays an equally large role in drawing crowds to multiplexes. A classic beauty mark, this "young" dark flat lesion draws attention to the eyes, the window of an actress' soul and the source of million dollar paychecks.