Mole removal and scarring

Start from the honest position: every method of removing a mole leaves some mark. The question is not whether there will be a mark, but what kind, how visible, and whether the trade is worth it for the lesion you have.

No treatment can guarantee a scar-free result. Anyone telling you otherwise is overselling.

What each method leaves behind

Laser removal

Lasers used for flat pigmented lesions include IPL, KTP and Nd:YAG. They target and destroy the pigmented tissue, and the heat also seals the treated area. There is no incision.

Healing and discomfort vary between individuals. Many people are left with a flat mark that lightens toward their normal skin tone over months. Some are left with a persistent lighter or darker patch. Visible scarring is uncommon but possible.

Radiofrequency (RF) removal

Radiofrequency energy is directed at the lesion, targeting the tissue precisely while sparing surrounding skin. No cutting, no sutures. Recovery varies - some people have essentially no downtime, others take longer. The degree of marking varies too, and returning to normal activity immediately is not right for everyone.

Cryotherapy

Liquid nitrogen freezes the lesion; the treated skin dies and sheds over a period that varies between individuals. A change in skin tone at the site is common - typically a lighter patch, which can persist.

Shave excision

A scalpel or radiofrequency device removes a raised lesion level with the skin. Healing takes several weeks. A small flat scar is common, and its visibility varies.

Ellipse excision

The most invasive option, used for suspicious lesions and those unsuitable for laser or shave removal. The whole lesion is removed and the wound closed with dissolvable or non-dissolvable sutures. A thin line scar remains permanently.

This is a deliberate trade: excision produces the most scarring and is the only method that produces a diagnosis. Where a lesion needs to be identified, the scar is the price of knowing.

What you cannot control

Your skin. Some people scar more readily than others, and a tendency to keloid or hypertrophic scarring is largely genetic.
The site. Skin over the chest, shoulders and back is under more tension and scars more visibly. Facial skin generally heals better.
The size and depth of the lesion.
Which method is clinically appropriate. If a lesion needs excising, it needs excising.

What you can control

Sun protection. This matters more than anything else. A healing scar exposed to sun pigments readily, and the resulting discolouration can be permanent. Cover the site and use sunscreen on it for months, not weeks.
Not picking. A scab that is picked heals more slowly and scars worse. Let it separate on its own.
Following the wound care instructions you are given - keeping the site clean and appropriately moist while it heals.
Not smoking. Smoking impairs wound healing.
Avoiding tension on the wound while it heals, particularly over a joint.
Scar treatments once the wound is closed - silicone gel or sheets, and massage, where your practitioner advises them.

How scars behave over time

A new scar is red or pink and firm. Over 12 to 18 months it typically flattens, softens and fades toward the surrounding skin tone. That maturation is why a scar should not be judged at six weeks.

Some scars do not follow that course. Hypertrophic scars stay raised within the original wound; keloid scars extend beyond it. Both are more likely in certain sites and in people prone to them, and both can be treated - see scars and cortisone injections.

Before your procedure

A Me Clinic doctor provides a skin consultation before any procedure. You may also need your moles checked by your own doctor first, so that the specific lesion can be safely removed by the method proposed.

At that consultation:

Tell your practitioner about all medications you take.
Tell them if any mole has changed in size, shape or colour.
Tell them if you scar badly or have had a keloid scar before.
Ask what scar to expect at that specific site with that specific method - and ask to see a comparable case.
Ask about wound care, pigment change and what follow-up is included.

Facial mole removal and removal elsewhere on the body are typically performed under local anaesthetic. Complexity varies with the lesion and site.

Risks

All procedures carry risks: scarring; hypertrophic or keloid scarring; changes in pigmentation at the site which may be permanent; infection; bleeding; delayed healing or wound separation; incomplete removal; recurrence of the lesion; altered sensation; and, where a lesion is destroyed rather than excised and examined, a missed diagnosis.

Please read our information on the risks and complications of cosmetic surgery before proceeding.

Booking

As at September 2024 and including GST, a mole removal consultation with a Cosmetic Doctor is $150. Me Clinic is at 4 Burke Road, Malvern East VIC 3145. Phone 1300 852 050 or (03) 9569 3511.

See mole removal, mole removal surgery, scars, why Me Clinic, or all skin services.

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.