Several methods have been used for mole removal, our preference is Radiosurgery, some of the other mole removal options are listed below.

Chemical Mole Removal

This method of mole removal burns the mole, typically with an acid such as salicylic acid or Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) The question with this method is accuracy as it is difficult to determine how deep to burn the mole (how soon to remove acid) Mole removal options involving acid are extremely painful and usually cause unsightly scarring worse than the mole in most cases.

We have treated hundreds of patients with nasty scars because of this technique.

 

Mole Removal by Freezing (Cryotherapy)

This mole removal option has been used for many years and can be successful for small skin tags away from major arteries or nerves.

 

Traditional Cautery to Remove Moles

One of the oldest mole removal options, and effective as it burns the mole off. Unfortunately scarring can be severe with marked depigmentation especially visible in darker skin types.

 

Traditional Mole Removal by Excision

This is the commonest method of mole removal, used for decades and is the most common technique now.

Usually successful but does have a recurrence rate of 1-3%.

Problem – High risk of scarring, can be quite significant and unsightly

 

Radiosurgery mole removal

Radio Surgical Mole Removal is the most elegant method of mole removal. The mole is gently brushed away as the radiofrequency energy vaporises the mole, leaving the deeper layers of skin intact. They heal very quickly and although there is a small risk of scarring, it is rarely visible. Most patients heal as if the mole was never there! This method is used extensively in the USA for all types of surgery and was used to separate the brains of Siamese twins joined at the head some years ago, but in the UK its main use is for Brain and Spinal surgery because it can remove a lesion exactly with minimal likelihood of scarring. The mole can be easily sent away for analysis by adapting the technique. There are no stitches to remove.

Moles can reoccur but this is extremely rare (much less than 1%), however it is our current policy to retreat recurrent moles without charge.

ANY suspicious moles MUST be removed by a dermatologist.