When is Mole Removal a Good Idea?

Mole removal is always a good idea if it is precancerous. Before trying to remove a mole, you should get the professional opinion of our skin specialist. Only a dermatologist or qualified skin specialist can tell you if your mole is dangerous or harmless. The other reason to have a mole removed is if it causes you discomfort when you dress or shave because of its location on your body or if you feel that it is unattractive.

Different Types of Moles

All moles are a cluster of skin cells that can appear anywhere on your body. They are brown or black and usually harmless. They typically appear before the age of 20, and most adults have from 10 to 40 moles.

If you suddenly get a new mole later in life, we recommend you have it checked by a qualified professional. In addition, if you have a mole that starts to change in shape, size or color, it should be checked. These may be symptoms of cancer cells, and we will recommend mole removal immediately. Once a mole is removed, you may need to keep watch on the place where it was to make sure it doesn’t start growing back.

What to Expect

If you decide to have a mole examined by our skin specialist, we may do a biopsy. We will take a tiny skin sample and have it tested in a lab. If it is cancerous, we may remove the mole and part of the area around it to be sure all the cancer is gone. The mole removal surgery is simple and is done in the comfort of our office. There are two main surgical procedures:

• For a surgical excision, we use a special tool that removes the mole and a small amount of the surrounding skin.
• For a surgical shave, the mole is shaved off along with a small amount of skin under it. This is often prescribed for smaller moles and usually doesn’t require stitches.

At first, you may like the idea of using a home remedy to remove a mole. While this may sound easy, it could be dangerous if you don’t consult a professional because your mole may be precancerous. Not to mention, professional mole removal has a much higher success rate, and the safety of in-office procedures is unmatched.

Moving Forward with Mole Removal

Whether you want your moles removed because you don’t like the way they look or because you are concerned that you may have a serious skin problem, when you visit Westover Hills Dermatology, you can be sure that the best treatment will be recommended. Contact us today to book your mole removal consultation at our office in San Antonio.