I have hundreds upon hundres of moles on my arms, legs, back, and chest. My derm won't remove them as they are benign and insurance won't cover the cost as removal is considered cosmetic. It is really affecting my self esteem and I don't like to go out in public. I am considering trying to get some liquid nitrogen to remove them myself. How well does it work to remove lots of flat, brown moles? Some are very large, slightly bigger than a pencil eraser. What about radiofrequency surgery?
October 10, 2010
Answer: How to Remove Hundreds of Moles From My Body?
If you have many moles on your body, I would recommend seeing a board certified dermatologist for a body check to make sure none of these moles are suspicious for cancer. The greater the number of moles, the higher the risk.
Depending on the type of "mole" on your body, some can be frozen, or shaved of. However, for a standard mole, the only way to minimize chance of recurrence is to excise the mole and close the defect. This may result in hundreds of tiny scars on your body, which may be just as noticeable as the moles.
Helpful
October 10, 2010
Answer: How to Remove Hundreds of Moles From My Body?
If you have many moles on your body, I would recommend seeing a board certified dermatologist for a body check to make sure none of these moles are suspicious for cancer. The greater the number of moles, the higher the risk.
Depending on the type of "mole" on your body, some can be frozen, or shaved of. However, for a standard mole, the only way to minimize chance of recurrence is to excise the mole and close the defect. This may result in hundreds of tiny scars on your body, which may be just as noticeable as the moles.
Helpful
October 3, 2010
Answer: Be careful what you ask for.
I would completely agree with Dr. Krant's advice. First are they really moles or are they something different like seborrehic keratoses? Here in the DFW area, there are a ton of "Medi-Spas" that will claim that they are skin experts. Be very careful and make sure that you are seeing a board-certified dermatologist.
Do NOT try to freeze these lesions yourself. First off, how do you know if that mole is a melanoma or not? Second, while freezing appears to be an easy procedure to accomplish, there are subtleties that should be known to prevent damage (hypopigmentation [whiteness] and scarring).
I am not a fan of radiofrequency surgery. I feel that with proper techinque, one can get just as good a result with a sharp blade. Many surgeons and medispas will market radiofrequency for mole removal. They will remove the mole with this techinque and not send anything for pathology. This is another thing to watch out for.
Finally to address the financial issue, if indeed these lesions are benign, there is no insurance around that will pay for their removal. Expect to pay out of pocket.
Helpful
October 3, 2010
Answer: Be careful what you ask for.
I would completely agree with Dr. Krant's advice. First are they really moles or are they something different like seborrehic keratoses? Here in the DFW area, there are a ton of "Medi-Spas" that will claim that they are skin experts. Be very careful and make sure that you are seeing a board-certified dermatologist.
Do NOT try to freeze these lesions yourself. First off, how do you know if that mole is a melanoma or not? Second, while freezing appears to be an easy procedure to accomplish, there are subtleties that should be known to prevent damage (hypopigmentation [whiteness] and scarring).
I am not a fan of radiofrequency surgery. I feel that with proper techinque, one can get just as good a result with a sharp blade. Many surgeons and medispas will market radiofrequency for mole removal. They will remove the mole with this techinque and not send anything for pathology. This is another thing to watch out for.
Finally to address the financial issue, if indeed these lesions are benign, there is no insurance around that will pay for their removal. Expect to pay out of pocket.
Helpful