Mole Nose Removal: Best Option? (photo)

Surgical shave excision can improve the cosmetic appearance of this mole, but there will still remain a chance of regrowth.  I would perform the mole removal in my Los Angeles practice under local anesthesia.

I would recommend that you have a shave excision done on the mole.  At the same time, a laser can be used to smooth the edges.  

Since the mole on your nose is raised, I would recommend shaving it off, as this should leave the least noticeable scarring.  It will take several days for it to heal and will prevent the need for any sutures.  I doubt that it would recur, but if it does, it normally would take years.  

Since your mole is flesh colored, shaving it flat and having the edges curretted to blend into the surrounding skin is probably your best option since it will look like nothing was ever there and it is a 50-50 shot whether it will ever grow back and if it does, then it usually takes 5-10 yrs and can be shaved flat again at that time. Excision won't raise your nostril since there is enough skin stretch back that will prevent that because the skin is elastic but you will have a little scar.  Dermabrasion of the scar will help blend it though and should be done at the time of excision and again 4 months later for best results. Sincerely,

David Hansen,MD

The direction of the scar and how it is excised will make the difference in how good your nose will look after.  If the mole is removed with the understanding of basic plastic surgery principles and techniques it is quite possible to get a good result.  Sometimes a simple full thickness and cleverly oriented excision, will achieve the best result.  An experienced board certified plastic surgeon can likely properly advise you of your options.  

Based on the photograph, a simple shave would likely give you the best results for removal of this mole on the nose.  Yes, there is a risk that it might grown back, but, if this happens, it would likely take years.  You'd probably prefer the scar left after a shave v. an excision with stiches for this lesions.

A simple shave excision would leave you pleased as punch with the cosmetic end result.  Rule of thumb is that if a mole on the face protrudes like your mole, it is far superior to shave it off, blend the borders and let the skin heal.  A deeper fusiform excisino is more expensive, takes longer and leaves a line on your face.  Go with the shave.  The odds of that returning is very low and if it were, it would be years.  Happy New Year!

There are several options available. One is an excision, which will leave a line scar.  In my office I do excisions, but I also use a method which combines a shave excision with radiosurgery.  This technique leaves minimal scarring.

 

With any procedure, the final result is dependent on skill of the surgeon/physician as well as proper wound care.

 

Good luck with everything.

 

Dr. Radin

In your case it would be very easy to do a shave excision of the mole. It will require a small amount of numbing injection, then a scalpel will be used to cut it at the base. I have rarely seen sites like your reappear and if they start to, it would be easy to catch it again before it got large, which would literally take years. Follow proper wound care and you should be left with a tiny pink mark, at worst. I wouldn't recommend a fusiform excision, in this case specifically, that's entirely too much of a procedure to do.

Moles on the nose can be easily removed using a shave excision technique that typically results in a minimal scar. With this method, the mole is actually shaved off at a very superficial level just below the surface of the skin. The procedure typically takes less than a minute and is painless after a tiny injection to numb the area. Moles that are removed in this fashion should not recur enough to be bothersome. If they do, they can always be excised and sutured at that time, but this almost never happens in my experience. I would recommend having this treatment done by a board certified dermatologist, as plastic surgeons rarely do shave excisions.