How to remove a mole

Mole removal is a common procedure, and it is straightforward - but the order matters. Assessment comes before removal, every time. The method is chosen after a lesion has been examined, not before.

Surgical warning: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

The rule that governs everything on this page

A pigmented lesion that has not been assessed must not be lasered, frozen or burned off. Destructive methods leave nothing to send to pathology, and they can erase the evidence of an early melanoma while leaving the deeper part of it behind. The lesion appears to be gone; the disease is not.

So the sequence is always:

  1. Examination of the lesion, with dermoscopy, in the context of the rest of your skin
  2. A decision: clearly benign and suitable for a cosmetic method, or of any concern
  3. If there is any concern, it is excised whole and sent for pathology. No exceptions, and not for cosmetic reasons

A practitioner who offers to laser or freeze a mole without examining it properly is doing you a disservice, whatever it costs.

Methods, and what each is actually for

Surgical excision

The lesion is cut out in full, under local anaesthetic, and closed with sutures. The tissue goes to pathology. This is the method for anything suspicious, anything changing, and anything where a definite diagnosis is needed. It leaves a linear scar longer than the mole itself, because the skin has to be closed neatly.

Radiofrequency shave

A fine radiofrequency handpiece removes a raised lesion level with the surrounding skin and seals the base as it goes, so bleeding is minimal. It suits raised, clearly benign lesions - skin tags, dermal naevi, some seborrhoeic keratoses. Tissue can still be sent for pathology. Healing is usually a small scab that separates within about a week, leaving a flat mark that fades over months. Because it removes only what sits above the skin surface, any pigment cells deeper in the skin remain, and colour can return - which is one reason it is not used where there is any diagnostic doubt.

Cryotherapy

Liquid nitrogen destroys tissue by freezing. It is appropriate for certain confidently diagnosed benign lesions such as skin tags, seborrhoeic keratoses and solar keratoses. It is not a treatment for pigmented moles: it destroys the tissue, so nothing can be examined. It commonly leaves a pale mark, particularly on darker skin, and sometimes a blister first.

Laser

Vascular and pigment lasers treat specific targets - broken capillaries, sun-induced pigmentation, some flat benign marks. Like cryotherapy, laser destroys tissue rather than removing it for examination, so it has no role in treating a mole that has not been confidently assessed as benign.

Scarring

Every removal leaves a mark. Excision leaves a line; shave and destructive methods usually leave a flat pale or pink patch. Scars look their worst at around six to eight weeks and improve for a year or more. Keep the area out of the sun or under high-SPF sunscreen for at least twelve months - sun on a healing scar causes lasting darkening. See mole removal and scarring.

Checking your own skin: ABCDE

Australia has among the highest rates of melanoma in the world, and early detection is what changes outcomes. Check your skin regularly, and ask someone to check your back and scalp.

Also use the "ugly duckling" idea: most of your moles resemble each other, and the one that stands out from the rest deserves a look. Some melanomas lack pigment altogether and appear pink or skin-coloured, so a new, firm, growing lump warrants attention even if it is not brown. Check places you do not normally look - soles, between toes, under nails, scalp, and genital skin.

Higher risk

Be more vigilant, and consider regular skin checks, if you have fair skin that burns easily, many moles, atypical (dysplastic) moles, a personal or family history of melanoma, a history of sunburn or solarium use, or long-term outdoor work.

Where to go

Me Clinic doctors assess and remove skin lesions, and anything removed with any question over it goes to pathology. Me Clinic does not have a dermatologist on staff. Where specialist dermatological assessment or management of a skin cancer is required, we refer you - to a dermatologist, a skin cancer clinic, or a plastic surgeon, as appropriate. Your GP can also refer you directly.

If something on your skin is changing, do not wait for a cosmetic appointment. See your GP.

Costs and booking

Mole removal consultation $150, including GST, as at September 2024. The cost of removal depends on the lesion, the method and the number treated, and you receive a written quote after assessment. Where a lesion is removed as a skin cancer with flap or graft repair, an MBS item number may apply (for example 45060) - ask for the item number and check the rebate with Medicare and your fund.

Me Clinic, 4 Burke Road, Malvern East VIC 3145. Phone 1300 852 050 or (03) 9569 3511, or use the consultation form. Note that no one can diagnose a skin lesion from a photograph - an online enquiry is a way to book, not a way to be assessed.

Related: moles and skin tags guide, mole removal, mole removal surgery.

Individual results may vary. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

Images on This Page