If you don’t have a dermatologist, ask your primary care physician to refer you to one. If you don’t have health insurance, see if there’s a health clinic in your area that provides mole removal services or referrals. Keep in mind that some doctors have the ability to remove moles in their office.
To perform a biopsy, a sample from the mole will be taken using either a shave or punch biopsy. This sample will then be sent to a lab and tested. If it comes back positive, further treatment will be needed. If it’s negative, you can choose to keep the mole or have it removed.
In some cases the area is also cauterized using a tool that burns away layers of skin to reduce the chances that the mole will grow back. This option may be available for moles that are noncancerous and relatively small. Moles that cover a larger surface area are too big to be shaved off and cauterized.
While it may sound like a big deal, surgical excision is actually a quick, out-patient medical procedure. Removing the mole will likely take between 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the mole. Since only local anesthesia is administered, you’ll be fine to drive home and go about your day as normal. Be sure to care for the wound as directed. You may have to return to the doctor’s office to get the sutures removed. Keep in mind that the incision for this procedure is very small. If there is hair growth, then the doctor will cut out the root of the hair.
Your primary care doctor or a dermatologist can perform cryotherapy as an in-office procedure. Some offices even have nurses who are trained to perform cryotherapy. Keep in mind that with cryotherapy, there will be no tissue to send to the lab for testing because it will have been frozen off.
In addition, mole removal creams don’t address the issue of whether or not the mole is cancerous. Applying it to a cancerous mole can be very dangerous; cancerous cells could remain and end up growing out of control without your knowledge. Don’t use any type of cream or other product without consulting a doctor first.
A is for asymmetrical shape. If your mole has two very different looking halves, this could be a sign of cancer. B is for border; look for moles with irregular, rather than smooth, borders. C is for color. Moles that have changed in color, have more than one color, or have color gradations should be checked out. D is for diameter. If your mole is larger than 1⁄4 inch (0. 6 cm) and still growing, have it checked. E is for evolving. Look for any changes to your mole that occur over weeks or months.
Use sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, even in the winter. Your sunscreen should also offer broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays, and it should be water resistant. [8] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Dermatology Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists Go to source Try to keep your moles covered with clothing or a hat. Avoid using a tanning bed. [9] X Trustworthy Source US Food and Drug Administration U. S. government agency responsible for promoting public health Go to source
Put a few drops of apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball. Put the cotton ball on the mole and wrap a bandage around it. Leave the bandage on for an hour. Do this every day until the mole disappears. Stop if skin irritation occurs.
Take a clove of garlic and slice it in half. Put the half piece of garlic on the mole and leave it overnight wrapped in a bandage. Repeat for several days. Stop if skin irritation occurs.
Pull the peel off a banana. Apply it to the mole for an hour. Repeat every day until the mole is gone. Stop if skin irritation occurs.
