Question 1

What is mole removal?

Accepted Answer

Moles can be removed for cosmetic reasons, or because they’re potentially cancerous (melanoma). Most unwanted moles are surgically removed, cut out via punch excision, or shaved off with a scalpel. The best mole removal method “really depends on the age of the patient and the exact location of the mole,” says Dr. Dilip Madnani, a facial plastic surgeon in New York City.

Moles are clumps of pigment cells called melanocytes. These skin growths can range in color from red to light or dark brown, and they can be flat or raised from the skin, resembling dark spots.

The most common moles are benign, but any large, irregular, or changing moles should be checked by a doctor or dermatologist to ensure they're not cancerous.

Question 2

What are the pros and cons of mole removal?

Accepted Answer

Pros

It's quick, simple, and painless, with no downtime.
A biopsy can be performed after a mole is removed, to determine if it’s cancerous. Removing a cancerous mole from the surface of the skin early can save your life.
Moles can be removed from even the most delicate or hard-to-reach areas, and the scar can be well hidden. “Luckily, the skin is stretchable, so removing moles in tricky areas isn’t that hard,” says Dr. David Hansen, a dermatologic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. “Eyelids heal surprisingly well, with minimal scarring, and moles around the lips heal well, as long as you place the scar in a crease that isn’t noticeable or right along the lip border.”

Cons

Even though it may be virtually invisible, you will have a small scar. “Scars vary, depending on how you heal and where they are,” says Atlanta plastic surgeon Dr. Elizabeth Morgan. “Moles on the face tend to heal with fine scars, and moles on the mid-chest, shoulders, and back tend to heal with thick scars. But with skillful excision, the scar almost always looks much better than the mole,” says Salt Lake City dermatologic surgeon Dr. Mark Taylor.
The area may need to stay covered with a bandage for a few days—which can be awkward, if the mole was on your face.

RealSelf Tip: If you’re concerned that the removal of your mole will create an unsightly scar, ask your doctor which scar treatment option they’d recommend. Early intervention, including proper wound care, is often the key to minimizing scars. Dr. Madnani often finds that “a combination of resurfacing lasers with IPL treatments” will ensure the best result.

Question 3

How much does it cost to have a mole removed?

Accepted Answer

The price you pay will depend on who’s performing the procedure (a dermatologist, plastic or dermatologic surgeon, or general practitioner), their practice location, the size and shape of the mole, its location, and the type of mole removal.

See our complete guide to mole removal costs

Question 4

Mole removal before and after pictures

Accepted Answer

The mole removal photos in our gallery have been shared by the provider who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.

Question 5

Who makes a good candidate for mole removal?

Accepted Answer

Most people are good candidates for mole removal, especially if you’re concerned about how it makes you look, it catches on jewelry and clothing, or you’re worried that it might be cancerous.

Tell your doctor if you have issues with blood clotting or healing.

Question 6

What happens during mole removal?

Accepted Answer

The mole is first measured, mapped, and photographed during a skin exam. Your provider will sterilize the mole and surrounding skin with alcohol, then numb the area with local anesthesia. The injection may burn a little, but that’s the only discomfort you should feel during this procedure. You may also feel a little pressure. Overall, it doesn’t hurt.

The procedure can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the mole and removal technique.

The method used will depend on the purpose of the removal, the mole’s color (brown, red or “nevi,” or black), the size, whether it’s raised or flat, and where it’s located.

Punch excision is often used for flat moles. A sharp cylindrical device (like a tiny cookie cutter) removes a round plug of tissue, including the mole. “Most flat moles can be punched out and allowed to heal on their own, if they’re tiny (1 mm) or they can be sutured closed, if they’re 2 mm or bigger,” says Dr. Hansen.

Shave excision (shave removal) works well for raised, light-colored moles. “If a mole is flesh-colored, it’s usually shaved flat,” says Dr. Hansen. “There’s a fifty-fifty chance of it growing back in several years.” The doctor will usually remove the outermost layers of the mole using a razor or scalpel, but the depth of surgical shave depends on the location and purpose of the removal. The area will bleed but won’t require stitches. With a small bandage, the area should heal quickly.

Surgical excision is often done if a mole is dark, bumpy, or potentially cancerous. Your doctor uses a scalpel to cut the mole and a border surrounding it in an elliptical (oval) shape. Then the skin is sewn back together, leaving a thin scar.

To minimize scarring, Dr. Hansen says, “I always feather out the edges of the incision just before I suture the wound closed and again, about three months later, to help blend and hide the scar.”

Of all methods of removal, surgical excision is the most cost effective with the least amount of post-operative hypopigmentation, according to a 2018 study in the Journal of Maxillofacial & Oral Surgery. For these reasons, it’s the most popular choice.

Mohs surgery is another method of surgical excision, done specifically for skin cancer lesions. This in-office procedure allows for immediate biopsy and diagnosis until margins are clear (e.g., no more melanoma is present).

Question 7

How do you tell if a mole is cancerous?

Accepted Answer

According to the American Cancer Society, routine removal of moles does not necessarily prevent melanoma. That said, it's important to have large, irregular, or changing moles immediately checked out by a dermatologist, to ensure that they're not cancerous. Melanoma is the rarest form of skin cancer, but it’s also the most dangerous.

Suspicious moles have these characteristics:

Asymmetry: One half doesn’t look like the other half.
Border: It has poorly defined or irregular border.
Color: It contains a variety of colors.
Diameter: Melanomas are usually but not always bigger than 6 mm, about the size of a pencil eraser.
Evolving: The mole has changed in size, shape, or color.

Any mole that bleeds, itches, or just looks different from your other moles should also be pointed out to your doctor and potentially biopsied.

Tissue from suspected melanomas will be sent to a lab to be biopsied (analyzed for cancer) by a pathologist. Biopsies are typically done if the mole shows one or more signs of the ABCDEs of melanoma.

“Which moles are sent to pathology depends on a patient’s history and the appearance of the mole,” says Dr. Anil Shah, a facial plastic surgeon in Chicago. However, some doctors err on the side of caution, getting biopsies on most or all of the moles they remove. Dr. Madnani says “I make it a point to biopsy the moles I remove, to ensure they are benign.”

Doctors on RealSelf recommend that you never have a mole removed in a way that doesn’t allow for potential skin biopsy. According to a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 7% of moles are diagnosed as melanoma.

One reason laser mole removal isn’t more common is that lasers destroy the mole, so there’s nothing left to test.

“Melanomas are curable when found and treated early, but they can be deadly when they are found at a later stage or when they spread to lymph nodes and internal organs,” says Dr. Harry Goldin, a dermatologist in Skokie, Illinois, in a RealSelf Q&A. “If a mole is removed and not tested and at some future date you develop a metastatic melanoma without a primary lesion, we will always wonder whether one of those moles that were burned off with a laser was really a melanoma.”

Question 8

Can you remove a mole yourself?

Accepted Answer

Mole removal is not a DIY project. People try multiple home remedies instead of going to an experienced dermatologist. Most all of them aren’t worth it.

Don’t attempt to pick off a mole or cut it off yourself with a knife, razor blade, or string. You risk bleeding, infection, and scarring that could be worse than the mole itself.
Other homemade cures, such as using apple cider vinegar, baking soda, or garlic to dissolve a mole, are rarely effective or safe.
Don’t try burning it off with hydrogen peroxide. Weak solutions are usually completely ineffective, while a stronger version can do a lot of damage to your skin.
While some doctors freeze off warts and certain moles, don’t attempt to do this at home, and don’t use removal products intended only for warts. You could get frostbite or create a scar.
The Yale Medicine Dermatology department cautions against using mole removal pens, calling them “basically soldering irons.” You could burn yourself and be left with an even nastier scar.
Even if you succeed in removing a mole at home, you’ll have no idea whether it was cancerous.

Question 9

What is mole removal recovery like?

Accepted Answer

There’s no downtime after mole removal, but it’s important not to irritate the area while it heals. “The incision can often be covered with a spot bandage, and any sutures are usually removed in five to seven days,” says Dr. Taylor.

Hold off from showering for 48 hours, and be careful while working out. “You can exercise but do so gently, so you don’t pull the wound apart,” says Dr. Hansen. For example, if the mole is in the middle of your back, avoid intense upper-body exercises for a couple of weeks.

You’ll also want to protect the wound from the sun, which can darken scars permanently and make them more noticeable. “Keep the area covered from direct sun for the first two weeks,” says Dr. Hansen.

Talk with your provider about whether a topical skin care solution could help minimize your scar.

“I’ve had three moles on my face my entire life, and I finally decided I wanted them removed. It was so quick, easy, comfortable, and I didn’t feel a thing. I had no pain or blood afterward, and I’m so happy with the results.”—Powerful9255, RealSelf member

Question 10

How soon will you see results?

Accepted Answer

The mole is removed immediately, but “it will take a few weeks to as long as a year for the scar to completely heal and look its best,” says Dr. Taylor.

Question 11

Do moles grow back?

Accepted Answer

Moles will occasionally grow back, particularly if some tissue is left behind during the procedure. “This is more likely to occur if a mole is shaved off, but it can still occur even if a mole is surgically removed,” says Atlanta plastic surgeon Dr. Elizabeth Morgan.

If the mole returns, another excision can remove it again, though this can increase the risk of infection, bleeding, and scarring.

If your mole was sprouting a hair, the hair may remain even after the mole is removed. Hair removal is possible, though. “The hair follicle can be deeper and require either a deeper incision or a follow-up with a laser procedure,” says Dr. Shah. Electrolysis is another permanent hair removal option.

“After years of debating whether or not to have a large raised 1 cm mole removed from my left cheek, I finally plucked up the courage to have it done. I knew it would leave a scar, but I didn't mind as I was fed up with it being a brown lump that stuck out. Over three years later, I’m still happy. If I went back in time, I’d do it all over again.”—mwal, RealSelf member

Question 12

Is mole removal covered by insurance?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes the whole procedure will be covered by insurance, and melanoma testing is typically covered by insurance plans.

“A mole removal can be covered by insurance, if there’s a medical necessity for removal—like if there’s a concern about it being cancerous,” says Seattle facial plastic surgeon Dr. Sam Naficy.

Each plan is different, so check with your insurance company before having a mole removed, to see how much of the procedure it will cover.

Question 13

Sources & studies

Accepted Answer

“Doctors Define 'Safe & Effective' Margins for 'One & Done' Skin Removal Around Suspicious Moles.” NYU Langone News, 2 Oct. 2017.

Moriarty, Colleen. “Are DIY Beauty Treatments Worth Trying?” Yale Medicine, 7 June 2018.“Preventing Melanoma: Can Melanoma Be Prevented?” American Cancer Society.

Reddy Bandral, Manjunatha, et al. “A Comparative Evaluation of Surgical, Electrosurgery and Diode Laser in the Management of Maxillofacial Nevus.” Journal of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, Dec. 2018.

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