Can a Mole Be Removed Without Leaving a Scar?

Scalpel Sculpting is a three-minute, simple way to remove moles (often called "beauty marks," or "birth marks.") without the need for cutting deeply into the skin or placing any stitches.

Most moles are benign overgrowths of pigment cells. Typically, they begin as flat brown spots and with time begin to grow and stick out above the skin surface. That's when they come to most people's attention, especially when they are on the highly visible areas of the face, neck and especially on the cheeks and near the eyes.

At one time surgeons cut them out down to their roots, a surgical procedure that required stitches and bandages and often left stitch tracks and unsightly scars and irregularities in pigmentation.

Today, instead of cutting deeply into the skin, cosmetic dermasurgeons angle the scalpel horizontally beneath the projecting portion of the mole to "sculpt" it away. The wound is then covered with a drop of liquid bandage and left to heal by itself. It usually takes seven to ten days for the crust to fall off and a few weeks for the color to fade toward normal.

Patients can return to work immediately following the procedure. The risk of any kind of scarring with this method are very small, since no deep cutting is performed. In the course of healing, normal skin from the surrounding area generally grows over the wound, which lends to a very nice color match in most cases.

It is extremely important that the removed surface specimen be sent to the laboratory to be one thousand percent certain that the mole being removed for cosmetic purposes is nothing more than just a benign birth mark and not a hidden melanoma, a very serious form of skin cancer.

For this reason, I strongly advise against moles being removed by destructive methods, such as burning, cauterizing, acids, and lasers. These methods destroy the removed specimen and do not permit a laboratory evaluation.

Sometimes. If the mole is raised and flesh toned, I will perform a shave excision followed by low energy cautery. This typically results in no scarring, with a small chance of recurrence. There is always a small risk of a noticeable scar anytime the skin is incised.

The short answer is no.  However, some techniques are more likely to leave worse scars than others.  It is important for you to see an experienced plastic surgeon.

Anytime a lesion is removed there will be a scar. Scars can be placed in ways that minimize how noticeable they are and various things can be done to minimize their visibility (such as scar gels) but there is no way to remove something surgically without leaving some sort of mark. You have to decide whether you would rather have the mole or a scar where it once was. The only way to know for sure what your likely result will be is to book a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon near you. Best of luck! 

Anytime the skin is cut a scar will be left behind. However, these types of scars are usually very small when it is from mole removal. There are great treatments for mole removal scars, such as microneedling or fraxel laser treatments which can virtually erase any scars left behind from having a mole removed. 

Much of this depends on how well you (the patient) heals. Some folks just scar less than others. Some of the scarring depends on the technique of your surgeon, and can be reduced with good skill. What remains can be treated by laser therapy, for example.The good thing about moles is that generally the repair is not done under tension, so that really helps with reduced scarring.Take a look at the before/after photos of noses I have under "Mohs"….no, they are not photo shopped! There really is practically no scar. So yes, it is possible. Ask your surgeon to tell you ahead of time what to expect--they should know. 

Epidermal moles often do not leave scars after mole removal. Our office specializes in mole removal in the Los Angeles. Most treatments are performed on an outpatient basis. Raffy Karamanoukian MD FACSLos Angeles

If a mole is being completely surgically excised, there will be a scar in its place.  As a plastic surgeon, the goal is to make that scar look as best it possibly can.  I recommend that you see a board certified plastic surgeon for evaluation.  

There are three things which make a scar noticeable.

1. Thickness or if it raised

2. Width

3. darker or lighter than the surrounding skin.

The surgeon that does your mole removal should understand these issues and be knowledgeable of the techniques used to prevent or minimize their occurrence.

Almost all mole removals will leave somewhat of a scar. But it is possible to remove a mole without leaving a scar; HOWEVER, it really depends on the type of mole. Some moles can be treated with lasers. This should reduce the chances of scarring. Not all moles should be treated with laser however.

Depending on the type of mole, some can be removed with a "scarless" technique.  I use a modification of a shave technique which makes it very difficult if not impossible to tell where the mole has been removed.