How Do Doctors Remove Moles?
Doctors and dermatologists remove moles by cutting, burning or freezing them off. Some procedures can be performed in the doctor's office, while others may require surgery. While lasers can be used to remove moles, they are often avoided because they do not penetrate the mole deeply enough, and when the mole isn't completely removed, it is liable to grow back.
A mole, or nevus, is a marking on the body that develops in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Some are harmless, appearing at birth or within the first 20 years of life, while others could be a sign of skin cancer, the result of prolonged exposure to the sun or genetics. Moles of the face are sometimes referred to as "beauty marks," such as the facial nevus associated with supermodel Cindy Crawford. In one's lifetime, a person could acquire as many as 40 moles.
To determine if a mole is dangerous, one should consider the ABCDs: asymmetry, border, color and diameter. Asymmetrical moles with fuzzy borders, multiple colors and a diameter larger than a pencil eraser are attributes of melanomas, or malignant tumors, and should be examined by a doctor. Also beware of the itching, bleeding and changing characteristics of moles.
Whether one wants to remove moles for aesthetic or health reasons, the process may require stitches. Whether stitches are required or not, the mole will be sterilized, numbed and sometimes draped. In the mole removal process that doesn't require stitches, a surgeon will take a scalpel and either squarely cut the mole away, or dig in with the scalpel slightly deeper than skin level. The doctor will then cauterize, or burn, the remaining mole matter. Some doctors opt to freeze the mole with liquid nitrogen, a substance that cryogenically frosts the human skin on contact.
To remove moles that are flat or especially dark a more invasive method will be required, and the skin will need to be stitched shut. When stitches are required, the area will be cleaned and numbed, and then the doctor will use a scalpel to cut deep into the skin to remove the entire mole. Either dissolvable stitches will be applied deep into the cut, or a more topical set of stitches will be applied.
After the mole removal procedure, the area should be kept clean, with water or hydrogen peroxide, and bandaged. An antibiotic salve needs to be applied before bandaging. A salve is a protective layer of sterile substance, such as Neosporin®. The area must be repeatedly cleaned and dressed until it is healed. Infection, allergic reaction and scarring are potential side effects when doctors remove moles.
In non-stitch mole removal, a follow-up appointment is not usually necessary, although the mole may be tested to make sure it is not a tumor. In more complicated mole removal cases, patients will need to come back for a follow-up visit.
Written by Beth Fontaine
