Surgical and laser mole removal Scottsdale
A mole, medically known as a nevus, is a type of skin growth that can occur anywhere on the body. It’s generally caused by the growth of melanocytes, which are the pigment-producing cells of the skin. Most people have one or more moles. In most cases, moles are harmless to your health, although cancer does occasionally develop in a mole.
Even though they’re not dangerous, many people are bothered by their moles, particularly if they are in highly visible locations (like on the face). Because moles are often raised and darker than the surrounding skin, they can be difficult to hide with makeup. Some people choose to have their moles removed because they’re bothered by how they look.
Options for mole removal
There are both surgical and nonsurgical options for mole removal. During surgical mole removal, the skin around the base of the mole is cut in order to remove the mole, and then the edges are brought back together.
Nonsurgical options include removing the mole with laser or intense pulsed light (IPL). These modalities both involve shining an intense beam of light on the tissue in order to cause localized heating. This triggers a natural healing response, and the mole will gradually be removed by the body. It generally takes three to five sessions of laser or IPL treatment to fully remove a mole.
If there’s concern that a mole may have become cancerous, this is a very different situation from mole removal for cosmetic purposes. In this case, laser mole removal is not an option, and a specialized type of surgery known as Mohs surgery will be needed. This is best performed by a specialist in this particular surgical technique. While the vast majority of moles don’t become cancerous, if your doctor has concerns that a mole might be cancerous, you’ll need to be seen by a dermatologist to address this problem.
Advantages of laser or IPL mole removal
Many patients are interested in a nonsurgical option for removing their unwanted mole. This generally involves laser treatment, or sometimes IPL. There are a few potential advantages of this form of treatment.
One is that it generally leaves little to no scarring. Because the body gradually removes the tissue of the mole, it will simply disappear. Most of the time, there’s no apparent scar afterward.
The recovery from nonsurgical mole removal is also a bit gentler, as there’s no incision. As the mole is being naturally cleared by the body, there may be some redness and flaking on and around it. This may last for up to a few weeks, as the natural removal of the mole takes place gradually. Although there may be a feeling of irritation, this method is generally not painful.
At the same time, nonsurgical mole removal is not always permanent. The body may not clear away every bit of the tissue of the mole. If a little bit is left behind, then the mole can grow back later. Although having multiple treatment sessions generally helps to remove as much of the tissue of the mole as possible, it’s important to know that there’s no guarantee that laser or IPL mole removal will be permanent.
The difference between laser and IPL is in the type of light that they use. The light in a laser is more focused and concentrated, while IPL uses a more broadly focused light. IPL is more gentle, but for many moles, it’s not intense enough. Often, laser treatment is more likely to get rid of the mole.
Advantages of surgical mole removal
Although many patients are interested in nonsurgical options, surgical removal of a mole does have its advantages. The main one is that surgical mole removal is permanent. As long as the surgeon has been careful to remove the entire mole, it will not grow back later.
Surgical mole removal does leave a scar, which is permanent. At the same time, it also removes the mole permanently. In expert hands, the scar can be made very discreet. This requires detailed knowledge of the tissue planes of the facial skin, along with training and experience in surgical techniques used to minimize the appearance of scars.
Choosing an expert facial plastic surgeon helps to ensure that the scar from your mole removal is as unobtrusive as possible. Some people would rather have a scar, which is pale, flat, and relatively easy to hide, than a mole, which is raised, dark, and often obvious.
Surgical and laser mole removal Scottsdale
If you’re bothered by the appearance of a mole on your face, you do have options for addressing this problem. Consulting with an expert in facial plastic surgery and cosmetic medicine will allow you to get personalized advice about your options and what results you could likely expect from each, given your particular situation. It’s important to choose an expert because they have the knowledge and experience needed to minimize scarring from a surgical procedure on the face.
As a specialist facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Caniglia has spent many years performing both surgical and nonsurgical procedures on the face. You can book a consultation with Dr. Caniglia by simply contacting our front desk staff.
