One of the most common types of skin condition, moles for the most part are harmless. Even if you don’t have any noticeable moles on your face or somewhere obvious, it’s likely you have one or two somewhere on your body, as most people do. Although endearing to some, many do not like moles.
You may be looking to have yours removed, either for cosmetic reasons or because of the threat of skin cancer. Either way, a common concern of patients having a mole removal procedure is, will moles come back after removal?
Mole removal procedures are usually permanent and once a mole has been removed, it will not come back.
However, in certain circumstances, where the mole has not been completely removed, if it was removed with a surgical shave for example, as there are still mole cells present, the mole could come back.
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Can You Permanently Remove Moles?
The short answer is yes, you can, in most cases, completely remove moles permanently.
However, as you will see below, how successful the removal can often depend on the actual mole removal procedure used and the skill of the surgeon or dermatologist performing it.
If care is not taken to cleanly remove the raised part and the part below the surface, it may not be fully removed and could come back.
Is It Normal for Moles to Grow Back After Removal?
Again, it depends on the mole removal procedure used, as some are more efficient than others.
Even with techniques that are almost 100% foolproof, it all comes down to the individual performing the procedure.
Let’s look at the different mole removal procedures and discuss the likelihood of moles growing back after each.
Surgical Shave
One of the most popular mole removal techniques is the surgical shave.
This involves a local anaesthetic being administered to the target area, which ensures you won’t feel pain during the procedure.
Once the area is numb, the dermatologist or surgeon will use a special blade to shave off the raised part of the mole gently and carefully.
You do not usually need stitches and the recovery time takes around 1 to 2 weeks.
Although there are very few in the way of side effects or problems, as just the raised area is shaved, parts of the moles are kept below the surface of the skin and can grow back.
Surgical Excision
To have the best possible chance that your mole won’t grow back, you need surgical excision.
With this technique, both the mole itself and its roots are taken out.
As it is a more invasive procedure, it does require stitches and you could be left with a small scar.
Laser Removal
Another method that will help you to get rid of the mole without it coming back is laser removal. This is most commonly used when you have flat moles that are harder to cut out or shave down. The laser makes use of light to target the mole pigment.
Freezing
Freezing is another common mole removal technique used for ones that are easy to remove.
Liquid nitrogen is applied to the mole, causing it to scab over and fall off eventually.
The problem is that because this treatment does not target the roots of the mole, there is a chance it will come back, and you may need to have the treatment again.
I Had My Mole Removed and It Grew Back – Why?
Although there are a lot of connections between moles and cancer, just because the mole you thought was properly removed grows back, does not mean it is cancerous.
In fact, in most situations, it normally means that some, maybe even minute and seemingly insignificant, cells of the mole remained under the surface and were not removed.
That would mean the mole would have a chance to regrow.
Will a Mole Grow Back if Scratched Off?
While it is hard to scratch a mole to remove it, you may do this accidentally. This is quite a common problem. Even if you don’t deliberately or accidentally scratch it by pulling at it with your fingers, you may take a mole off that gets trapped in clothing or some other way. Whatever way it is deliberately or accidentally removed, through scratching or catching, as this is not a surgical procedure that targets the roots and parts of the mole underneath, it is more than likely that it will come back.
As you should only enlist the help of a professional to carry out a mole removal, it is not a good idea to even attempt this kind of removal.
Will it Grow Back Cancerous?
Many people misunderstand moles that come back after a removal procedure.
Sometimes moles can be cancerous or show signs of skin cancer.
However, while a malignant mole may be removed before a proper assessment and biopsy have been done, to come back cancerous, this does not happen to all moles.
A normal, benign, and harmless mole can never turn into a cancerous mole, even if a botched attempt at removal is made.
Summary
As you have seen from this post, the subject of moles coming back after removal is one with a lot of grey areas and no clear answer.
It all depends on several different aspects related to the mole itself and the removal, as well as the dermatologist or surgeon removing it.
For example, if a simple surgical shave or freeze treatment is used, there may be some of the mole left under the surface that could eventually grow back into a complete mole.
If the surgeon performing the procedure is not careful enough, this may also be the case, or if the wrong procedure is used on the type of mole-like a flatter mole simply being shaved down or frozen.
When looking to have your moles removed, always speak to a professional dermatologist, as it is a good idea to make sure it is not cancerous.
Read Also: Mole removal cost, What to expect after mole removal?
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