What is the Best Way to Remove Pigmentation After Laser Mole Removal?

Sometimes pigment returns or intensifies after laser surgery of moles or after moles have been shaved off because not all of the cells that make pigment were removed. For that reason I prefer to remove the moles surgically because I can be certain that pigment will not return and because I will have a pathological record of each mole. So the only way to guarantee removal is by surgical excision and sutured closure. Other options inlcude repeated laser treatments or cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen treatment). Talk to you surgeon, and if you're not satisfied with the options, get a second opinion from a dermatologist.

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. Using a laser to improve the appearance of a mole will alter its look and make it more difficult to observe for precancerous changes in the future. The majority of a mole can be removed very easily, and less expensively, using a shave biopsy technique. This typically results in a minimal scar, making the mole much less visible. It also has the added benefit of having tissue to send for microscopic examination, at least for reassurance purposes. The best way to remove the deeper pigmentation that was left behind from your laser treatment would be to do a simple surgical excision of the area with suture closure to give you the best cosmetic result. This should result in a linear scar that will be much less visible.