How Much Does Mole Removal Cost?
Why costs vary
Mole removal costs $650 on average, according to 331 patient reviews on RealSelf.
However, that price can range dramatically, from a $25 insurance copay to $2,500 for cosmetic mole removals, without insurance coverage.
Because you and your mole are unique, you’ll get the most accurate answer with a personalized price estimate, tailored to your situation and the mole removal method your dermatologist recommends.
Does insurance cover the cost of mole removal?
Mole removal is one of the rare outpatient cosmetic procedures that may be covered by health insurance.
If it's a common mole being removed for cosmetic purposes, you'll probably need to pay out of pocket.
However, if the procedure is deemed medically necessary as part of a skin cancer screening, mole removal surgery will probably be covered by your health insurance. If you're unsure, check with your insurance provider in advance and talk with your provider about what kind of documentation they'll need to submit to get your coverage approved.
If you’re concerned about an atypical mole or freckle that has changed in shape, size, or color (with darker or redder pigment), it’s definitely worth a visit to a dermatologist to ensure it’s nothing serious. Better safe than sorry: Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has become one of the most common forms of cancer among people under 30, and cancerous lesions can look like a mole.
Suspicious or cancerous moles are removed and then biopsied to determine if further action is needed. Insurance plans should also cover the biopsy, but again, check with your insurance provider on the details of your coverage, to avoid a surprise bill.
Why do mole removal costs vary?
These are the biggest factors that will influence your mole removal price.
1. Whether your mole removal procedure qualifies for insurance covered
As we explain above, at least a portion of mole removal procedures performed for medical reasons should be covered by health insurance. But you can expect to pay out-of-pocket for purely cosmetic mole removal procedures.
2. Your provider’s qualifications
Mole removal surgery can be performed by doctors—typically dermatologists, dermatologic surgeons, and plastic surgeons, but also by general physicians.
If your provider has more advanced levels of training (like a board-certified dermatologist), you can expect to pay more for your mole removal. But we wouldn’t recommend cutting corners with this procedure, for several reasons.
If you’re getting a mole removed from a very delicate area of your face where it could leave a scar, it may be worth seeing a facial plastic surgeon. Though the prices will absolutely be higher than those of a family doctor or derm, you’d be working to ensure you get the best cosmetic result (with minimal scarring).
Even if you're having the mole removed for cosmetic reasons, it's important to know that it’s not skin cancer. Board-certified dermatologists and plastic surgeons usually have more training than a family physician in evaluating whether a mole is suspicious and should be sent for a biopsy, to check for cancerous cells. They may even be trained in an advanced skin cancer treatment options, like Mohs surgery.
3. Their practice location
You can expect to pay more for your mole removal if you choose a provider with a practice with a high-class address in a major city (doctors pay rent, too), while those based in less in-demand neighborhoods and less upscale buildings will likely charge less.
The number of providers offering mole removal near you, and how much demand there is for their services, will also affect your price.
If budget is a big concern and you’re willing to go a few extra miles for savings, you may find it’s worth the time to get price quotes from practices outside your immediate area, so you can compare.
4. The type of mole removal method your provider recommends
There are multiple techniques used to remove moles.
- The shaving technique, the most cost-effective, removes the mole at the skin’s surface with a scalpel. It’s typically reserved for raised moles, in places where some scarring isn't a major concern.
- Larger or flatter moles often require surgical excision. This minor procedure, performed with local anesthesia, involves cutting around the mole with a scalpel, removing it, and closing the wound with tiny sutures. Typically, this costs a few hundred dollars more than shaving.
- Some providers offer laser removal or burn moles off, but dermatologists don’t recommend these methods unless some tissue is removed first for lab analysis. If the mole happened to be cancerous, zapping it would remove the only visible marker of skin cancer, making future detection and treatment more difficult.
5. The size and location of the mole
Usually, larger moles (for example, those larger than the diameter of a pencil eraser) are more time-consuming to remove and cost more to get rid of than something tiny.
However, even a small mole in a visible location on or near the face, like the eyelid, the edge of a lip, ear, or near the nostril, can be very challenging to remove without leaving a scar. These more technically difficult mole removal procedures can be pricier than average, because they take more time and skill to do well.
6. How many moles (or other growths) you want removed
Many people use a mole removal appointment as an opportunity to get rid of multiple skin growths (like skin tags) that they find unattractive or inconvenient.
If you’re opting to remove several moles or skin growths at once, that will cost more than removing just one, but some providers do discount their fee for each additional removal performed in a single operation, so it’s worth asking if there are any savings to be had.
7. Pathology expenses
Often, dermatologists send a sample of cells from an excised mole to a pathologist or dermatopathologist, to determine if the mole is precancerous or cancerous. This kind of due diligence is essential, but these tests can add a few hundred dollars to your total. That expense is usually covered by health insurance.