Why we remove moles

What they are and how to get rid of them

So what are moles?

• Moles should never be viewed as big scary lumps on the skin.

• They are simply growths on our bodies that can happen anywhere, be any size, and in the majority of cases aren’t harmful

• Moles are often black or brown • People can get moles at any age

You can get them anywhere

Why do we get them?

• Melanocytes are the cells in our bodies which give skin their colour. Sometimes these cells can cluster together in a way that can make skin rise in to a lump i.e. the moles we know.

Are they harmful?

• In the vast majority of cases, they aren’t at all as they are simply an overgrowth of skin.

• In a very small minority of cases, they can cause issues. E.g. a discoloured and highly raised mole should be checked out in case it’s a sign of a tumour.

Can we get rid of them?

• Well of course we can. Moles may appear to be harmful, but getting rid of them is incredibly easy.

• No matter where they are on the body they can be removed

• How someone would want to remove a mole is all down to personal preference.

How do we remove moles

• There are a number of different ways to remove a mole: – Having it cut off – Risky DIY at home – Creams – Clean cut radiowave removal

Having it cut off • If you get it removed professionally (and avoid

the risk of doing it at home) you usually won’t feel a thing

• A professional will use a local anaesthetic to number the area around your mole.

• They will then slice the mole off with a scalpel or blade. If the mole goes under the skin, they may need to pull the growth out and slice it too.

• You’d then need to wait for bleeding to stop and get stitches which take a few weeks to full seal.

Having it cut off

• This is what it looks like if someone uses the traditional method to remove a mole

Risky DIY at home • Now it is possible to remove a mole at home

but much of it involves old techniques that can cause more harm than good

• One option is to use prescribed cream which can reduce the appearance, although in many cases it won’t fully get rid of the mole

• Another (rather antiquated way) of removal is the string method. You simply tie a knot around a mole and let it slowly wither. This method only real works for moles on the hands and fingers and does take a few weeks, and will leave you with a odd looking mole.

Risky DIY at home

• This is what a home mole removal looks like

• As you can see, a mole will look a lot more taut and visible

Clean cut radiowave removal • This rather futuristic technique is the quickest

removal method and the one which carries the least risk

• Just like traditional removal, local anaesthetic is applied to the area.

• A doctor then points a small pen over the mole with a small cauterising loop. This loop uses radio wave technology to glide through the mole and cleanly cut it off.

• A few small strokes over the mole and it is completely gone. It’s works differently from other techniques as the skin the mole was on now has the same skin tone as its surrounding area.

Clean cut radiowave Removal

• This is what the loop looks like

Clean cut radiowave Removal

• This is what skin looks like after a radiowave removal.

So what should you do?

• There are plenty of options for removing a mole; all with their own advantages and disadvantages

• Remember that moles are mostly un-harmful, but if you’re worried about yours, visit your doctor and have them look at it.

Learn More

• Here are some sites you should take a look at if you want to know more about moles and ways to remove them: – http://www.snowberrylane.co.uk/treatments/moles.html – http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2298.aspx?CategoryID=68 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSqRfrUzCCs