Laser Treatment for "Fleshy" Facial Mole Removal

It is often recommended to do a shave biopsy and then lasering the remaining portion of the mole to achieve a nice contour.  By shaving the mole, there is a chance that the mole will return.  The other options is to do a complete surgical excision of the mole in which you would be trading in the mole for a linear scar.  

A mole can be shaved off (it is cut flush with the skin surface leaving behind the deep part of the mole) or cut out (the entire mole, including the extension beneath the skin is removed).  The second option is clearly a more definitive removal but the shave can also have great looking result although the likelyhood of it growing back is greater.  Either of the two techniques provides a sample that is then sent to a pathologist for examination under a microscope to ensure that the lesion is not cancerous.

Removal of moles on the face should be done in the most non-invasive way possible to avoid permanent scarring. The biggest decision is whether this is clearly a benign lesion or whether it warrants further pathologic diagnosis. Check with your dermatologist or plastic surgeon. 

Most board-certified dermatologists would share with you that every year, there are few surprises of what seem to be benign appearing 'fleshy' moles whose pathology come back as malignant. Lasers such as Nd:Yag lasers may be used only if pathology confirms benign nature of the moles. Shave excision is fine to proceed first because if you are not happy with the way it looks afterwards, you always have a chance to re-excise it; however if you excise first, you are going to be stuck with a tiny line and there is no going back.

Flesh colored moles rarely ever turn bad and are very easy to be removed. A dermatologist can look at the moles and tell you what it is and how the best way to remove it cosmetically. If it is shaved off, half the time it never recurs and looks great at a cost of $150-250 each. If it recurs in 5-10 yrs then you just shave it down again. If it is in an area that allows itself to be excised with minimal tiny line scar then it is roughly $350-500 and almost never comes back. Both methods are done under local anesthesia and in a matter of only a few minutes with NO pain afterwards. Never laser a mole if you can help it.

In my opinion, moles should not be removed with a
laser.



Moles are a general term for a growth on the skin, but often
they are made up of non-cancerous pigment cells called melanocytes or
nevocellular cells. The problem is that these
same cells can sometimes be cancerous.
We call this type of cancer melanoma.
Melanomas are curable when found and treated early, but can be deadly
when they are found at a later stage or when they spread to lymph nodes and
internal organs.

When a mole is removed with a laser, the tissue is destroyed
and cannot be examined to be sure that it is not a melanoma.

I generally excise moles on the face because I think the results are better than with shaving.  The resulting scar is usually negligible.  Also, when a mole is removed with shaving, there can be a depression at the wound, pigment can form at the base of the scar and the mole can recur.  

What every you decide, don’t have your mole removed with a laser.

"Fleshy" moles are much better shaved off and not removed with laser.  Lasers are amazing for many things but not for mole removals.  It is not medically indicated.  You need to have these moles sent to the pathology lab to confirm whether they are benign or malignant.  Especially on the face, a shave removal will give you the best results.  It is really important to seek out a board certified dermatologist with experience in cosmetic procedures for the best result.

Hello,

 

Despite the fact that lasers are heavily promoted, they do not always offer superior results. For a simple mole, surgical excision and closure usually yields better results.

 

Best Regards,

 

John Di Saia, MD

Laser removal of a fleshy mole can only be accomplished by burning the mole off with an ablative laser.  That would leave a flat scar the same size or larger than the mole on your face.  That would most likely result in a less cosmetically acceptable or pleasing appearance than an excision with a scalpel and careful suturing, which should produce a thin, linear scar. Unfortunately there is no procedure that can remove a mole without leaving any scar.

However, there are ways to make a scar less obvious. Depending on where the mole is located, the excision of the mole can be placed in a natural skin relaxation line, which would make the scar less visible.  The proper techniques for bringing the cut edges of the skin together also help to minimize the scar. 

In addition, the care of wound after the procedure also plays a big role in making the scar much less noticeable.

Laser is not a good way to remove a true mole on the face. It is important to remove the tissue intact so it can be tested to be 100% sure it is not something bad. Careful, artistic shave removal (with a blade) can remove the mole at the base and make it flat. This often heals with very little scarring on the face. Sometimes a flat, small brown freckle may appear at the site. This is pigmented cells that were originally in the core, which are not dangerous, provided the pathology of the removed mole is benign.

"Excision" of the mole with stitches can leave a linear scar, but does remove the whole root. This is a choice to be made knowing all pros and cons and discussing with your doctor.