Mole Removal

Our expert clinicians will assess your mole during a consultation appointment, and discuss the different treatment options with you. The type of procedure recommended will depend on the location, size, depth in the skin, and whether a histology review is required.

Your health care provider will use a local anaesthetic to numb the area. Once the pain killer has been administered you won’t feel anything other than a little bit of pulling and tugging. After the procedure you may experience stinging or burning around the area for a few days, which can be easily managed at home with paracetamol (or other pain killers).

It is important to be aware of the ABCDE rule for identifying potentially cancerous moles.

Asymmetry: one half of the mole does not match the other.
Border: the edges are irregular, blurred, or notched.
Colour: the mole has multiple colours within it (such as brown and black).
Diameter: the mole is larger than 6 millimetres.
Evolution: Moles that change in size, shape and colour and other.

If you notice any of these symptoms, it is important to schedule a mole check as soon as possible.

After your mole has been removed, if our health professionals are at all concerned they will send it away to a histopathology lab to check for cancer.

Some moles, especially those treated by curettage, can recur. If you are really concerned about your mole coming back you might want to opt for surgical excision.

You will be advised at the end of the procedure on wound care, and whether you will need to have your stitches out.

It is important to try to keep out of the sun and use sun screen on the scar as sites of inflammation can become pigmented.

For the next few weeks, you will need to avoid soaking the affected area. You should not undertake any strenuous activity (swimming, running, or playing sport) until your health care provider advises that it is safe to start again.

It usually takes two to three weeks for skin to heal after mole removal. After a few days your wound should start to scab over and heal and then by five to ten days the scab will fall off revealing new pink skin. Recovery times can vary depending of the size and depth of the mole removed, location on the body, type of mole, your healing ability, and your skin type.

While the internet is full of suggestions (like cutting off the mole with a blade, removing the mole with a specialised pen, using a cream, or even burning off the mole with cider vinegar) you should never be tempted to try to remove a mole yourself. First, there is no way you can tell whether your mole is a benign or malignant lesion. If you remove your mole you cannot get it checked for skin cancer and you could be leaving cancerous cells behind. Another risk is infection; your home obviously will not  be as sterile as a medical clinic. Infections delay healing at the site and increase your chances of scarring. Home removal can result in chicken-pox like dented scars or hypertrophic bumpy ones. Always seek professional medical advice about mole removal instead of attempting these risky and unproven methods yourself.