How to Remove a Flat Mole on my Face? (photo)

Dark flat moles can be burned lighter in color with lasers or electrofulguration and usually need 1-3 sessions but do look good in the end. They will always come back but may take yrs before that happens and then do it again. Another method is just excising them and closing up with a tiny suture so they won't ever come back again. Both are easy to do and essentually painless. Sincerely,

David Hansen,MD

I would recommend that you see a board certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist for an evaluation.  With a complete surgical excision, you would be trading in the mole for a scar. 

Hello Dark flat moles on the face can leave a hypo or hyperpigmented scar. with a expert opinion one would be able to advise only at the time of consult what treatment modalities are available and effective for this.  procedures like chemical peels, laser resurfacing, to excision can be effective. 

I'm afraid that there is no such thing as a scarless excision. Any time you cut the skin, whether it's with scissors, a scalpel or a laser, there will be some form of scar left behind. You are trading a mole for a scar. If you see the right doctor and you are not prone to keloids or bad scars, you will likely have a very small mark (scar) in place of the mole and you will have to decide if the moles bother you enough to proceed. 
Good luck and I hope this answer was helpful.
Best regards,
Sheetal Sapra, MD

First point, in my opinion, is that you should not have any flat dark mole lasered.   It's important to have a specimen to send to pathology to make sure that the mole is benign.  The last thing you want to do is have a melanoma blasted off your skin and not be aware of any spread that might be occurring.Then, seek out a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon for evaluation. They can advise whether a shave or excisional biopsy would give you the best result.

The lesions should be removed and sent for pathology. Fine line scars will replace the lesions and these should fade over time.  Because of the proximity of the two lesions, surgery should be staged. I would not recommend punch biopsy under any circumstances as this could result in a cratered effect which would be aesthetically unpleasing.

These are small moles and if you want them removed please consult with a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon and get several options on the best ways to do this. We would not recommend any type of laser procedure here — even to lighten them — as we do want to have pathologic diagnoses that these are in fact benign moles – which clinically from the picture they are. In our office we would recommend either a punch excision or a shave excision — and keep the potential scars produced by these as small as possible. If there are any concerns following the procedures, a laser procedure can be done to minimize the scar. But always remember, you are trading a mole for a scar.

Best option is to surgically excise the two pigmented lesions and suture them closed. Trying to remove them by shave excision would cause a depressed scar and therefore would not be a good option. Removal by laser may be incomplete, leaving an atypically appearing pigmented area. Plus, removal by laser will not provide tissue for examination microscopically to confirm that the lesion is benign. Finally, anything that traumatizes the skin (e.g. surgery, laser, electrocautery, etc) can leave a scar. It may be a beautiful almost unnoticeable scar or it can be more visible. This is one of the risks associated with removal of the two moles. There are many excellent doctors in the bay area that can further discuss this with you and proceed further. Good luck.

Small facial nevi (moles) such as yours are quickly and easily removed in my office by one of two methods: a shave excision or using a punch biopsy. There is no such thing as "scar-less surgery" but the trick is to minimize the scar so it is hardly visible. I feel that it is never appropriate to use a laser as your primary treatment for removing a mole. Regardless of how "benign" a mole may appear, a biopsy may still reveal it to be atypical.