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AP Photo/Mike Groll
Zhang Jie of China reacts while competing during the men's 62-kg weightlifting competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 30, 2012, in London.
What's the most shocking sight in the Olympics so far? It’s not Michael Phelps failing to medal in the 400 IM. Nor is it Jordyn Weiber getting eliminated from the gymnastics all-around finals.
The most shocking sight to me is Chinese weightlifter Zhang Jie’s big, hairy facial mole.
Zhang sports a mole on the side of his chin that must measure at least half an inch in diameter. Long, wiry, black hair protrudes from it, resembling the whiskers of a cat.
As a plastic surgeon, I recommend that he have the mole removed. It resembles a congenital hairy nevus, which carries a 0.8-4.9 percent risk of turning into skin cancer. The best treatment for moles like this is surgical excision.
So why hasn’t Zhang had it cut off?
Even more important, why doesn’t he clip those hairs?
According to the Chinese Fortune Calendar, dark moles are often considered good luck. Hairy moles signify even better luck than bald ones, as they are regarded as healthier. This belief may actually be supported medically: Cancerous moles often lose their hair, as the cancer cells invade the hair follicle, causing the hair shafts to fall out. Therefore, hairy moles are considered less likely to be cancerous than non-hairy ones.
So was Zhang’s congenital hairy nevus good luck?
Not really. Although he was the favorite to win the 62-kilogram competition, Zhang ended up placing fourth.
Time to call the plastic surgeon.
Dr. Anthony Youn is a Michigan-based cosmetic surgeon and frequent NBCNews.com and TODAY.com contributor. He is the author of the book "In Stitches," a humorous memoir about becoming a doctor.
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Leave a Comment:
Austin Powers: Nice to mole you... meet you. Nice to meet you, Mole. Dont say mole... I said mole.
This is news?
News flash Carl: not every news story is momentous and huge, because momentously huge news does not happen every hour of every day.
If you don't like it, don't read it.
Time to call the plastic surgeon? How about the dermatologist? I mean...the ones who actually deal with skin cancers, eh, doc?
Not exactly Kuato, but getting there.
If anything, that mole is 'good luck' because everyone will at least remember Zhang because of the mole.
This article just rubs me the wrong way. I don't know if it's the fact that it's kind of like a self-advertisement, or if it's because it's focusing on something cosmetic on an otherwise amazingly healthy and talented person, but I'm side-eyeing the whole thing.
If a woman had that on her face the photo would have been enlarged and many people would have written in on how gross it is. Guys would say they wouldn't go near her if she was the last female on earth.
With that said I think most people are repulsed by a large hairy mole. We want those we look at to be pleasant looking aside from their talents. We're visual beings. Put something in front of us that is negatively out of the norm and we wince.
"WIPE NAIR, ON WIPE HAIR OFF." Perfect Olympic sales match.
Quade, Start the reactor! Free more air.
Isn't a hairy mole what kept popping up on the golf course in Caddyshack? Oh wait, that was a gopher. Back to your regularly scheduled programming. . .
I've lived in China for three years and believe me that mole is nothing compared to what I've seen over here. Most mens teeth are either crooked, falling out, or decayed. They have no clue what flossing or basic dental hygene is.
"I'm gonna cut it off, chop it up, and make some guacaMOLE!!"
Austin Powers :)