Our experienced team is here to answer all your questions on mole removal. Whether you are worried that a mole is suspicious, or you simply want it removed for cosmetic reasons, we can perform the procedure for you at our clinic at The Pines Manchester Hospital.
The starting point is an initial consultation with our experienced plastic surgeons. During this consultation, many people want to know if a mole will grow back after removal. There certainly is a risk of the mole returning if it is not fully removed.
If you have a cancerous mole, it will need to be removed with a scalpel to ensure that every last trace is taken away.
However, if your mole is not cancerous but you want to have it removed for cosmetic reasons, you have a couple of options available to you – the mole can be removed with a scalpel, or it can be removed using what we call the shave excision technique.
A shave excision involves using a scalpel-like tool to carefully scrape away the mole, with the edges being blended with the surrounding skin.
With a scalpel removal, it’s necessary to have stitches and you might have a small scar which is red for a start, but which usually fades to white over time and eventually becomes barely noticeable.
With a shave excision technique, no stitches will be required and fewer layers of skin are affected, so scarring is minimised – normally after a few weeks you can barely notice where the removal site was.
The shave excision technique, when properly carried out by experienced consultant plastic surgeons like our team at Manchester Plastic Surgery, should be the end of that mole, though there is more chance of it growing back with the shave excision than with the scalpel removal. Our surgeons will take every care to ensure your mole is fully removed with the shave excision technique, though if you want to be completely certain the mole is gone for good, the scalpel technique is the best option.
Most patients opt for the scalpel removal regardless of whether the mole is suspicious, simply because it’s the surest way to get rid of it once and for all. That said, if the mole is sited in a particularly prominent position, such as the face or neck, then the shave excision is a popular choice because of the reduced chances of visible scarring.
Our team will provide the information and guidance you need to make the choice that’s right for you.
Mole removal is a relatively straight-forward procedure carried out under local anaesthetic so the area/areas to be treated will be numbed using a small injection. The mole is then removed and, if the scalpel has been used, you will have a few stitches which will simply disappear after a week or so. The procedure takes about 20 minutes per mole.
Please get in touch to find out more or to book your initial consultation.
