Why Skin Moles Should Be Taken Seriously, And Your Choices In Mole Removal
They say beauty is only skin deep, and it is the person beneath the skin who is important, not the outer appearance. And that’s true, but if you aren’t happy with the way you appear to others, or you feel you have to dress and behave differently because of some feature of your body that you’re unhappy with, then you probably find that your social life and general self confidence and self esteem are all adversely affected.
Skin moles are often the culprit behind low self esteem. But there is good news – mole removal is very easy and not all that expensive, and there are a number of very effective methods.
But there are two main kinds of moles – the raised pinkish brown type that we are often born with, or perhaps arrive with hormonal changes during adolescence or pregnancy, and 
the flatter, often irregularly shaped and darker variety.
This second type of mole, including those with the medical name dysplastic nevi, needs to be checked by your doctor or dermatologist, particularly if you notice any changes in shape, size or colour over a period of weeks, or if it becomes sore or starts bleeding. Dysplastic moles may be precursors of skin cancer, or developing melanomas. And melanomas are nasty – they can be removed surgically quite easily when they are small, but if untreated or poorly treated the cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body, including the liver, lungs and brain. Most of these cancers are very difficult to treat and are often fatal.
The point of this story is twofold.
- Make sure you or someone else checks your mole collection regularly and identifies any changes.
- And if you notice moles which are changing in any way get them checked by a specialist, and be prepared to have them surgically removed.
Once you are sure that you are dealing with common, benign moles you have the choice of a number of ways of getting rid of them. They may not be a threat, but they remain as unwanted residents on your skin, and removing them is not all that difficult.
Surgery is one of the two main ways available to remove any types of moles – the other involves mole removal at home using either commercially produced creams or treatments you can put together yourself.
Let’s get right to the heart of the matter.
Almost all mole removal procedures involve some pain, some scarring, and the possibility of the mole returning. Many surgical procedures, and some non surgical ones, often require more than one visit to the doctor, or application of a cream.
I have been able to find only one mole removal treatment that is effective (98% success rate), painless, and does not cause significant scarring.
So let’s cover that first, and then discuss the other mole removal treatments which will work, but usually have other drawbacks which you may wish to avoid.
This treatment has been developed by the respected health professional Chris Gibson, and requires no cutting, scraping, freezing or burning – not even any caustic creams. It costs peanuts to use, and can be done safely and easily in your own home.
The treatment involves application of a common oil and powder to the mole three times a day, and keeping it clean and covered, preferably with a non allergenic bandaid type of dressing.
We’re talking about castor oil and baking soda – you may have one or both of these in your kitchen or medicine cabinet right now. You could experiment with these components yourself, but you’ll find all you need to know to guarantee effective treatment in Chris Gibson’s Manual on Mole Removal at Home, which also covers removal of warts and skin tags.
The mole slowly dissolves away or drops off without the risk of exposing healthy skin to caustic material. The method is virtually painless, and results in minimal and very temporary scarring, and so far no one has reported the return of a treated mole. The main disadvantage is that the treatment needs to be applied three times a day for about three days.
Let’s just elaborate on some of those claims.
- Virtually painless? On the first application you may feel a slight tingling – a sign that the preparation is working. Even this disappears with subsequent applications.
- Mimimal and very temporary scarring? Scarring is too strong a word. Healthy skin around the mole is not penetrated, so the sort of scarring associated with cutting, freezing or electrical removal methods, or caustic creams, just doesn’t happen. You probably will see a temporary redness or, later, paleness of the skin around and under where the mole was, but this will rapidly fade and your normal skin color will return.
- And of course you’d like to know about a guarantee. How does 60 days sound just in case you’re in that minute 2% of people whose moles (or warts or skin tags) refuse to co-operate.
Other Home Mole Removal Treatments
While I have seen treatments based on other oils, there is little reliable information about either the treatment or its effectiveness. So let’s move on to treatments based on commercially manufactured creams.
Provided that you have had your moles checked for problems first, and you can keep them clean and germ free before and after treatment, home mole removal can be just as effective as surgical treatment and is far more convenient. Be aware, though, that mole removal creams can be quite expensive, and if you are affected by large numbers of moles you may need several jars of the cream before all your moles have disappeared.
Most commercial mole removal creams work on the principle of chemically corroding the mole – although the components of the creams may be natural the process involves chemical destruction of the mole.
The big advantage of these creams is that usually only one 15-20 minute treatment is needed – the cream is applied to the mole, left for a short time and then removed. The corrosive cream "dissolves" the mole. If left uncovered, a scab will form and eventually drop off, taking the mole with it. Some temporary scarring or skin discolouration will normally be experienced, although this will be reduced if the mole is treated with antiseptic cream and covered with a bandage.
Because these creams are caustic to some degree, it is very important that the cream is applied only to the mole, particularly in areas of softer more sensitive skin. These creams should not be used on moles near your eyes, and you may need help in the treatment of moles in hard to reach areas.
Surgical Mole Removal
Conventional surgery involves cutting the mole off the skin. It is done with a local anaesthetic and only involves a small incision, rarely any stitches, and with good post removal care, results in a scar which is small and will fade fairly quickly with time. This is a minor procedure when compared to removal of a melanoma.
The second type of surgery is often referred as shave excision, and it is only used on raised moles. There are two forms. The first requires a small scalpel, and the mole is shaved away until it is at skin level, or slightly lower. The pigmented part of the mole is completely removed. There may be some bleeding but it is easily handled, and again good post surgical treatment should minimise scarring. Cauterisation is sometimes used to stop bleeding, but it increases the chance of long term scarring and alternative methods exist.
A more high tech method uses the Radio Surgitron which, like the manual method, shaves off the mole until it is at skin level. At this stage the pigmented area has been removed. Once completed, the treated area resembles a shallow graze and heals easily with antiseptic cream and a bandaid type dressing. Scarring is temporary and slight, although there may be a slight colour change in the new skin for a while.
Moles can also be removed by biopsy, where a plug of tissue is removed which contains the mole. Usually at least one stitch is necessary. In comparison with other methods, bleeding and scarring are greater, and healing time is a little longer. But time heals all wounds, and this procedure is used if the doctor wishes the mole to be checked by a pathologist.
Moles can also be removed by freezing, using liqid nitrogen. The mole and some surrounding cells are destroyed by freezing. Usually a blister will form, which later becomes a scab which eventually falls off. There will probably be some temporary change in skin colour, but scarring is slight and disappears quickly. A skilled doctor will limit the freezing to the target area, and anaesthetic may not be necessary (although it can sting a bit).
The final surgical procedure in common use is laser surgery. This works better with flatter and darker moles with a higher colour contrast with the skin, and more than one visit may be required. These types of moles require expert evaluation – they include precancerous forms and melanomas, and laser surgery may not be the best option. Overall, the other forms of surgery are probably more appropriate.
Surgical results are likely to be better cosmetically if the use of blood thinners including Vitamin E and aspirin are discontinued prior to surgery – bruising is more likely otherwise and bleeding may be a little greater.
As you can see, there are many options available for removal of your moles. They vary in cost, effectiveness, and the degree of pain and scarring, but the end result will be worth it.
If you have been putting off the removal of your moles because of worries about pain or scarring, set your mind at rest. Used with care, home mole removal methods are safe and easy, and even surgical removal is much simpler than you probably thought. And perhaps the easiest and safest mole removal treatment can be done at home without the need for expensive and somewhat corrosive creams.
But regardless of what method of removal you choose, make sure you have your moles checked by a medical professional before you start removing them yourself, and make sure any suspicious moles are surgically removed. The consequences of ignoring possible melanomas, or treating them yourself, are just too severe.
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