Cosmetic Removal of Moles

While some moles can be dangerous and medically necessary to remove, others may be perfectly healthy. At the same time, if you do not like the appearance of moles, there are removal options.

Moles, or nevi, are frequently removed for a variety of reasons. They can be removed by two surgical methods:

• Excision (cutting), followed by stitches: This method removes the mole in its entirety, from the deep parts of the dermis. Due to the deeper cut and stitches (sutures), there is a heightened chance of scarring.
• Shave removal: This method flattens the mole but deeper parts are still presest and can over times (months to years) regrow. With this technique, the patient usually experiences less scarring. And if the mole ever recurs, this same technique can be reapplied to remove it again.

Both techniques above allow the dermatologist to look at the mole, now removed, under the microscope to be sure of the health of those cells.

Although laser removal has been tried for moles, it is not usually the method of choice for most deep moles because the laser light doesn’t penetrate deeply enough. The recurrence of a mole after laser treatment can be “splotchy” and unattractive; furthermore, because the tissue is destroyed, and never evaluated under the microscope, no information exists as to the health of those cells.

Please feel free to make an appointment with Dr. Kormeili if you are interested in having a mole evaluated or removed.