What are the options for mole removal?

Laser mole removal Phoenix Scottsdale Glendale

A mole is a small growth of melanocytes, which are the pigment-producing cells of the skin. This produces a dark, raised bump, which can be located anywhere on the body. In general, moles are harmless to your health. Rarely, a mole can develop cancer, but this doesn’t happen to most moles.

However, moles in some locations can impact a person’s appearance. This can impact a person’s self-esteem and confidence. A mole may be particularly bothersome if it occurs on a highly visible location like the face. Many people find that moles are challenging to cover with makeup, and can’t really be hidden or disguised.

If a person doesn’t like how a mole looks, they may wish to have it removed. What are the options for removing a mole? How can you choose between them?

Surgical mole removal

One option is surgical removal of the mole. The skin around the base of the mole is cut, the mole is removed, and then the edges are brought back together.

As with any surgery, this option will leave a scar. In the expert hands of a facial plastic surgeon, this scar can be made very discreet. It will almost always be significantly less obvious than the mole itself was. As long as careful postsurgical care is used to ensure that it heals well, the resulting scars are generally hard to notice.

An advantage of surgical mole removal is that it ensures that the mole is removed permanently in just one treatment. As long as the surgeon ensures that they remove all of the tissue of the mole, it will not grow back after surgical removal. For those who want to ensure that their mole is gone forever, and are willing to have a small scar in the area instead, surgical mole removal may be the best option.

Nonsurgical mole removal with laser or IPL

There are also nonsurgical ways to remove moles. Most commonly, this involves laser  treatment. In some cases, intense pulsed light (IPL) may be used.

Either of these treatment modalities involves shining bright light directly on the mole. Because the mole is darker than the surrounding tissue, it will absorb a lot more of that energy. This creates tissue damage in the mole, which in turn activates the body’s healing response. Over the next few weeks, the body will gradually reabsorb the tissue of the mole. 

The advantage of nonsurgical mole removal is that it generally doesn’t leave a scar. It also tends to be less uncomfortable than surgical mole removal. However, one tradeoff to consider is that it usually requires several treatments to achieve the desired results. Depending on the size, most people need 3 to 5 treatments to completely remove a mole.

Another tradeoff to consider is that nonsurgical mole removal isn’t always permanent. If a little bit of the tissue of the mole is left behind, then it may grow back later. While surgery makes it possible for the surgeon to ensure that the entire mole is removed, the nonsurgical options rely on removal by the body, and it’s not guaranteed that a bit of the mole won’t be left behind. In some cases, the mole may come back, and then need to be retreated later.

Laser mole removal Phoenix Scottsdale Glendale

If you have a mole on your face that bothers you, and you’d like to explore your options for getting rid of it, we invite you to schedule an appointment with Dr. Henderson. As an expert in facial plastic surgery and cosmetic medicine, she has the skills needed to get good results from a mole removal procedure. After seeing your mole, she’ll be happy to talk with you about what results you could likely expect from each option and what she recommends. To book your appointment, simply contact our front desk.