1. What is a mole?
A mole is a common name for a brown or red-brown growth on the skin. Moles, also called nevi, are the result of the pigment cells of the skin, called melanocytes, clustering together. Other skin growths, such as seborrehic keratoses, are often mistakenly called moles, but rather are thick outgrowths of keratinocytes (the nonpigmented cells of the skin), and are not moles at all.
Although some moles can be removed quickly and easily, it is not always necessary or even a good idea to do so. More importantly, it is never a good idea to try to remove a mole yourself.
2. Shaving Off a Mole
Some moles develop from birth, while others develop in childhood and early adulthood. Some moles are flat with the surface, and some are raised bumps. The raised up brown moles are often the easiest to remove. A physician can clean your skin, anesthetize the area with a local numbing medication such as lidocaine, and using a scalpel or a razor sharp blade, shave the mole flat with the skin. This removes the mole and often leaves a minimal scar. This method is not as effective for moles that have been present since birth or for large, flat mole. In large, flat moles, the pigment cells are often deeper in the skin, which can lead to a more noticeable scar or to the regrowth of the mole after a few years. Scars from removing moles on the chest or back can sometimes develop into raised circular scars that are less attractive than the mole you had in the first place.
3. Removing a Mole by Surgery
When moles are larger or present since birth, often the best way to remove them is to cut it out completely. This differs from the shaving method because the skin is cut all the way through and sutures (stitches) are used to close the resulting wound. Just as in the shaving method, a physician can clean the skin with an antiseptic, numb the area with a local anesthetic, then cut the mole out using a scalpel. Because a wound is created, sutures are usually used to stitch the edges together. In this method, the mole is unlikely to ever regrow. The resulting scar is usually a straight line. This is sometimes preferable to a round or divot scar that can result from shaving off a mole.
4. A Mole Might Actually Be a Melanoma
Removing moles by shaving them off or by surgery also affords the opportunity to send the mole to pathology for examination. Most moles are not skin cancer, but sometimes a skin cancer can be mistaken for a mole. Other times, moles can have atypical cells or atypical patterns of cells that might indicate they are early skin cancers. The primary skin cancer that we are concerned about is melanoma. Melanoma is a dangerous skin cancer that has the potential to be deadly. Because melanoma can sometimes appear as a brown growth on the skin and can be difficult to distinguish from a normal mole, it is important that any mole that is removed be examined by a pathologist. If a removed mole turns out to be melanoma, then additional surgery is often needed to treat this dangerous skin cancer.
5. Do Not Try to Remove Moles Yourself
An Internet search of "mole removal" will turn out thousands of websites touting products to remove your moles. Everything from bleaching creams, acids and even urine are suggested. Although it is tempting to try to remove a mole yourself, you should never do so. Some of these home methods--such as acid--can lead to a burn scar on the skin, and results are never guaranteed, so in addition to a nasty scar, the mole may regrow or not disappear in the first place.
Remember that the color from a mole is deep in the skin. There is no topical remedy or cream that will selectively remove these pigment cells or bleach this color. Moreover, at-home treatments mean that the mole is not examined by pathology and might mean that a potentially dangerous skin cancer goes untreated.
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