What is the Possibility of a Shaved Mole to Reoccur?

Question

One month ago I had a pretty big mole shaved off my face, about 0.4-0.5 inches. It was protrude one and it healed really well - almost no visible scar. The doctor told me that there is a little possibility of regrowing of the original mole. Does that mean that there is possibility even after 5 or 10 years for the mole to reappear again?

Sam Naficy, MD, FACS · Answer

A shave excision only removes a portion of the mole.  There is a chance that the mole can regrow, however there is no knowing how soon the mole will grow back.

Martie Gidon, MD, FRCPC, FAAD · Answer

Shave excisions can give an excellent cosmetic result. Since there is potentially some mole left beneath the surface of the skin, there is a possibility that it will regrow which could take months to years. If it does regrow, it can always be removed again. Protect the area from the sun.

Mitchell Schwartz, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

In the technique of doing a shave excision, the mole is actually "shaved off" at a very superficial level just below the surface of the skin. This method is quite effective to remove moles and leaves a minimal scar. The procedure typically takes less than a minute, and is fairly painless. A deeper portion of the mole may still remain but is often fairly invisible. There is the small possibility that it may regrow over many years but rarely grows back enough to be objectionable.

What is the Possibility of a Shaved Mole to Reoccur?

Answers (3)