Mole Removal for Slightly Raised Facial Mole?

asked 2 years ago by anonatlantaga in Atlanta
Latest answer by Andrew Kaufman, MD
Question viewed 3,372 times
Tags: cheeks, face, moles, puffy eyes, raised

I have a small brown raised mole on the side of my face I want removed. It does have a few hairs that grow out of it that I pluck with tweezers. It doesn't cause any problems I just have never liked it. It does get puffy sometimes though. What would we the best type of surgery to remove it?

5 answers to Mole Removal for Slightly Raised Facial Mole?

Elliptical excision and closure is the best for mole removal

From your picture this is a benign probably intradermal nevus. A "shave" excision as some dermatologists sometimes do will leave a "crater" or small contour deformity type scar...also the nevus has a decent change of coming back. I do quite a number of these and excise them precisely in the direction of the skin lines (Langer's lines) and send them for pathology just to be sure it is not something malignant or worrisome. Then I close the incision precisely with very small sut more

James F. Boynton, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Mole Removal on Face

There are two ways to go about removing a tan or skin-colored mole on the face: tangential excision (shave removal) or excision with suturing. In either case the tissue should be sent in to be evaluated under the microscope. For tan or skin-colored lesions tangential excision works quite well and gives a very good result. Excision with suturing also works well. Either case will leave a scar. You can't cut the skin without leaving a scar. The idea is to leave a scar that blends in well.... more

Andrew Kaufman, MD
Los Angeles Dermatologic Surgeon

Mole Removal

Moles should be removed in total, so that they can be sent for pathological diagnosis. You will be trading the mole for a scar. You have to decide if the tradeoff is worth it for you or not.

Samir Shureih, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

Scalpel Sculpting for Removing Moles Without Stitches

Moles, often called "beauty marks" or "birth marks," are pigmented skin growths that may be completely flat or project above the skin surface. Typically, they may range in color through the entire spectrum of browns, from fawn-colored to extremely dark brown. Ocassionally, they may even be blue or nearly black. Removing them for cosmetic purposes, particularly from the face and neck, is a routine, simple, in-office procedure that takes less than five minutes to perform.... more

Nelson L. Novick, MD
New York Dermatologic Surgeon

Complete Removal of mole is necessary to minimize recurrence

A mole is like an iceberg. What is visible is just the tip. The mole extends down through all the skin layers until the fatty layer is reached. Therefore, a "shave" removal, as is typically done, will have a very high chance of recurrence. Also, if the mole is suspicious, only complete excision will give the best pathology diagnosis. I agree that complete removal with skin closure is the best treatment. To obtain the best cosmetic result, I recommend a board certified plastic... more

Michael A. Jazayeri, MD
Santa Ana Plastic Surgeon

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