What are moles?
Moles are growths on the skin caused by cells called melanocytes clustering instead of spreading evenly in the skin. The cluster causes a darker pigmentation on the skin and may appear brown, black, red or pink and circular or oval. Further sun exposure will continue to darken the spot.
Aside from sun exposure, new moles appear during periods of hormone level fluctuation, such as puberty and pregnancy. In general, the average number of moles on a person is between 10 and 40, with many fading away over time. Most moles occur on parts of the body that are exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.
Moles vary in size and shape but are usually not harmful to the person physically. However, they can be an aesthetic or mental nuisance.
Assessment & Histology
The majority of moles are harmless. However, we perform a histological analysis of your mole to check for any abnormality that could lead to skin cancer. Bodyvie works closely with The Doctor’s Laboratory when histology must be completed to analyse suspicious moles.
Treatment options:
Plasma Pen: PlexR & Accor
If the moles are small and flat and do not appear to show any abnormalities, they can be quickly removed using a Plasma-Pen device. This non-surgical option uses plasma to create a small arc of electricity above the skin’s surface.
Our doctors will carefully use the Plasma-Pen device to vaporise the area of excess skin. Treatment is ideal for sensitive areas of the skin or when working more precisely on small, delicate areas or on the face where we wish to reduce the risk of scarring.
Our doctors’ expertise and experience ensure minimal scarring and the utmost safety for the patient. In order to ensure patient comfort, a tiny ‘bleb’ of local anaesthetic is administered under the mole, skin tag, wart or cyst prior to treatment.
Curettage & Cautery
For large and flat moles or skin lesions. Curetting and cautery are types of electrosurgery in which skin lesions are cut away (whilst staying close to the skin’s surface), leaving a small cauterised wound to prevent bleeding and destroying any remaining skin tumour cells. Treatment is administered with local anaesthetic and does not generally require stitches, apart from extreme cases.
Punch Biopsy
A punch biopsy is a procedure in which a small round piece of tissue is removed using a specialised sharp, hollow and circular instrument. Typically 3-4mm in size or like a pencil eraser. This provides a skin sample which is sent off for laboratory analysis. Treatment is administered with a local anaesthetic so that the area is completely numb and the patient doesn’t feel discomfort.
Elliptical Excision
If the moles are large, raised and look suspicious, a deeper incision technique is used to remove the mole altogether. A sample of the mole will be sent to The Doctor’s Laboratory for histology to analyse any abnormalities. This is a deeper incision carried out with local anaesthetic. Treatment requires stitches; however, they dissolve between one to two weeks.
Book with Bodyvie
If you are interested in mole removal, it is so easy to book a consultation with our GP to assess your unique situation and suggest a treatment method. At Bodyvie, we understand the patient comes first, so you can book online or give us a call.
My aunt has a number of moles on her face, neck and some on her chest. She was checked them out for cancerous cells but luckily it wasn’t the case. We tried getting her to book to get them removed but someone told her that it was painful and the radiation would cause cancer. Finding out about these alternatives is truly what I needed to try convince her to get them removed however, I know the pain issue is going to come up. Which of the above treatments is the least painful with a quicker recovery time? Her moles are normal mole size, none of them are too big. Your help would be highly appreciated.