Mole Removal: Beauty and Complications

Melanocytic nevus, otherwise known as mole, is a type of lesion that contains nevus cells. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the majority of moles appear during the first two decades of a person's life, and about one in every 100 babies is born with moles. The removal of melanocytic nevus or moles has been considered as one of the many major practices of dermatology.

Reasons for Removing Moles

There are two reasons why moles are removed. One reason is when a melanocytic nevus or mole is suspected of being a melanoma. If this is the case, specialists would need to get a sample from the mole or have it totally removed and sent for microscopic evaluation by a pathologist using a method called skin biopsy. According to experts, like the dermatologist pomona, vast majority of moles are benign. One can do a complete excisional skin biopsy or a punch skin biopsy, depending on the size and location of the original nevus.

Other reasons for removal may be cosmetic, or because a raised mole interferes with daily life, such as shaving. For these cases, removal can be done by excisional biopsy or by shaving. A shaved site leaves a red mark on the site which returns to the patient's usual skin color in about two weeks. However, there might still be a risk of spreading the melanoma, which is why Melanoma diagnostic methods like excisional biopsy are still recommended even for these instances.

Mole Removal by Laser

According to the dermatologist pomona, some medical lasers are used to remove flat moles level with the surface of the skin, as well as some raised moles. While laser treatment is commonly offered and may require several appointments, other dermatologists think laser is not the best method for removing moles because the laser only cauterizes or, in certain cases, removes very superficial levels of skin. Moles tend to go deeper into the skin than non-invasive lasers can penetrate. Also, a scab is usually formed after a laser treatment, which falls off about seven days later, in contrast to surgery, where the wound has to be sutured.

Another concern about the laser treatment is that if the lesion is a melanoma and was misdiagnosed as a benign mole, the procedure might delay diagnosis. If the mole is incompletely removed by the laser, and the pigmented lesion regrows, it might form a recurrent nevus.