Can I Remove a Mole at Home with Duct Tape?

Question

I read online that if you clean the mole area with soap and water then let it to dry then put a piece of duct tape on the mole and leave it on for 5-6 days without getting the tape wet it would peel off with the tape. Is this true? Will it leave a scar? #mole #remover #ducttape #easy #fast My mole does not have cancer

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Mole removal can likely be done many ways.  The most prudent way is to seek the advice of a board certified plastic surgeon who has the experience to minimize scarring.

Sam Naficy, MD, FACS · Answer

I highly recommend that you see your physician if you are considering having the mole removed.  A mole removal should not be done with duct tape.

Michael I. Echavez, MD · Answer

A mole cannot be removed at home with duct tape.  You need to see a physician to have a mole removed and the only way you can tell for sure if a mole has cancer or not is to biopsy it.

Michele S. Green, MD · Answer

You cannot remove a mole with duct tape.  The only way to remove a mole is through a surgical procedure, either a shave removal or an excision.  Some people believe that warts can be treated with duct tape and there are some studies to support this.  However a mole needs to be removed by a dermatologist and sent to the laboratory to ensure that the mole is benign.  Please find a board certified dermatologist with experience in skin cancer and cosmetics for the best result.

Adam J. Mamelak, MD · Answer

Your at-home method for removing a mole with duct tape is pure myth - this is not an effective way to remove lesions from the skin. Furthermore, the only way to definitively tell if your mole is cancerous is by doing a biopsy and examining the mole under the microscope. For optimal results, as well as to avoid scarring, bleeding infection, and other complications, mole removal should be performed by a dermatologist or surgeon that has experience in this area.

Channing R. Barnett, MD · Answer

Moles cannot and should not be removed at home with duct tape, nor any other similar measure. Moles should be removed properly in the office of a board-certified dermatologist. Moles should also be sent to the dermatopathologist to be checked to make sure they are healthy moles (benign) which obviously cannot be done if taken off at home with inappropriate measures. Even if removing a mole with duct tape or some similar ridiculous technique were possible, it is much more likely to leave scarring and permanent discoloration.

F. Victor Rueckl, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

Absolutely - and I'd also love to sell you some beach front property in Arizona. NO, home treating for moles is absolutely not something you should do, regardless of what you read online. I had patient treat herself and "burn" her mole off with apple cider vinegar. She came to me with an abscess, a terrible wound, and now a tremendous scar, all from home treatments she read about online. Do not self treat moles - and P.S. You have no idea if your mole is cancerous - that can only officially be confirmed with a biopsy and a lab.

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