Parvin Shafa, MD

The only way to establish whether a mole is benign or not is through laboratory pathology. It is impossible to say definitively that a mole "looks" benign. The best way to prevent scarring is to have the lesion completely excised (cut out). You especially want to avoid any type of treatment that will destroy the tissue such as laser or liquid nitrogen cryo therapy. These types of treatments leave no tissue for a pathologist to examine. 

Following the procedure you may have a small pink mark which will eventually fade over time and will certainly look better from a cosmetic standpoint than the mole that was previously on your face. 

If you are nervous, I would recommend seeing  a cosmetic dermatologist who has a passion for skin surgeries. 

Best, Dr. Shafa

The truth is anytime we cut into the skin there is a risk of scarring. There are multiple factors that come into play including the technique of mole removal used, the location and size of the lesion, the type of skin you have, your age and wound care following the procedure. 

These risks can be minimized through having a consultation with a cosmetic dermatologist, whose expertise is skin surgeries, to review what treatment option would be best for your specific mole and needs. 

 

Thank you for your question. A chemical peel won't erase the freckles you love on your face. 

Chemical peel is a general term for a wide range of treatments we perform. They range from very light and superficial to medium, all the way to penetrating the deepest layers of the skin. The type and strength of peel that we use is based on what underlying skin condition we are trying to treat, the type of acid used, the amount of acid used, your ethnicity, skin tone, age, and whether or not we have prepped the skin before hand. 

For acne, we would be able to perform a peel light enough to treat acne lesions and scars without damaging the freckles.