While excision and cutting are the more common and recommended methods of removing moles, laser removal can be used for harder to reach areas, such as on the face or ears, and can be helpful for eliminating multiple moles at the same time.
Moles are incredibly common skin growths that almost everyone has somewhere on their body or face. The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that most people heave anything from 10 to 40 on their skin.
In most cases, moles are harmless. You don’t even necessarily need to remove them unless they are discovered to be cancerous.
However, we understand that as well as being distracting, you may have cosmetic concerns, if you have moles you may feel self-conscious about your appearance or don’t like how they catch on clothing. The good news is there are a variety of mole removal procedures available.
Although you are probably hoping for a precise answer to the question raised at the title of this post, it is not quite as easy as that.
The best mole removal procedure often depends on the location, size, and type of mole. There are four commonly used techniques for mole removal – cutting/excision, shave removal, freezing and laser removal.
What is mole removal?
The average mole removal procedure is different to a mole biopsy that is used to determine whether you have cancerous moles or not.
It involves completely removing the entire mole from the skin while trying to avoid scarring and leave you with a smooth and discreet finish.
Most moles are either black or brown skin growths that are formed due to clusters of skin pigment cells, known as melanocytes.
When should a mole be removed?
First and foremost, you should have treatment to remove moles if they have been checked and tested and there are signs that you have skin cancer, as determined by a dermatologist.
However, signs of melanoma, skin cancer or other medical reasons are just one reason why you may want to remove moles.
For example, if they are causing you great distress and self-confidence issues, having moles removed might improve how you feel about yourself.
Even if you are not worried about your moles, you may still find moles in awkward parts of your body that catch easily on clothing to be a nuisance and wish to have them removed.
What are the options?
What are the different types of mole removal?
There are four common methods used for removing moles, each with its pros and cons.
Excision
Mole excision, also referred to more directly as cutting, is a technique that involves the removal of the mole and a small section of the skin using a surgical scalpel or surgical scissors. The doctor performing the procedure will inject you with a local anaesthetic to stop it from being so painful.
Depending on how deep the mole has grown into your skin, the dermatologist may need to close up the wound with stitches once they have finished.
Shave removal
Similar to mole excision, mole shave removal involves the use of a surgical scalpel to remove your moles in layers starting with the upper layers and working down gradually to the deeper layers.
With this procedure, you are also given a local anaesthetic and while stitches are not normally necessary, there may still be a small patch of pink skin that remains in the place of the mole.
Laser removal
If you have flat, small, and non-cancerous moles, they can often be removed using laser treatment. This involves blasts of light radiation being targeted at the mole to destroy its tissue.
Unlike other forms of mole removal, for the best results from a laser treatment, you may need to have two or three treatments.
Laser therapy is a great option for moles in harder to reach parts of the body or areas where there are highly visible or sensitive areas of skin. It is also a great option when multiple moles are being removed at the same time.
Freezing
When you have non-cancerous moles on your skin’s surface, they can be removed using liquid nitrogen to freeze them. You may be left with a small blister on the spot where there used to be a mole.
What is the best way to remove a mole?
The best type of mole removal depends, as we have already noted, on the location, size and type of mole. Your dermatologist or doctor will be able to discuss the best method.
Can I remove a mole at home?
As you likely are visiting this page because you want a mole removed, you’ve probably looked at some other sites that offer suggestions for at-home mole removal techniques.
Whether you have looked at these sites or not, we would recommend that you avoid trying DIY procedures.
Not only is it likely to be incredibly painful, but you could also suffer from countless side effects and even an infection in the area you attempted the mole removal.
Even more alarming, without the expert attention and all that qualified experience that a dermatologist or doctor brings to an examination and treatment, it would be hard to spot a cancerous mole.
If you removed a cancerous mole, that was not benign, using any of these popular home remedies, you put yourself at high risk of getting cancer, without it being detected. That’s why mole checks before any removal, during the initial consultation, are always advised.
Summary
For the most part, moles are nothing to worry about. However, that doesn’t mean that it is a bad idea to have them removed.
So, whether you are looking to have a mole removed because you have been tested and found to have skin cancer or it is a non-cancerous mole, but you lack self-esteem and confidence because of it, there are various treatment options out there.
The one that is right for you, will depend on what your doctor or dermatologist says, your budget and your preferences.
The good news is that most modern procedures can be performed by either a doctor or dermatologist on an outpatient basis, so you don’t need to be admitted to the hospital for any length of time and can go home once the doctor has finished.
