Mole and Wart Removal
Moles, warts and skin tags are extremely common on the face and other parts of the body. They can be cosmetically embarrassing as well as cause problems when applying make-up, shaving or catching on clothing.
All these conditions are treated by very similar methods and are all very simple procedures. Most take less than 20 minutes and need little pain relief.
Mole Removal
Moles (naevi) are pigmented areas of the skin. Most appear as dark brown spots but moles can also be yellow or blue. Moles can be flat, raised, elevated and dermal, appearing anywhere on the skin but especially on the arm, head and neck.
Moles are sometimes regarded as fashionable and are even called "beauty marks" when found in women's cheeks. However, not all moles are beautiful, they can be very unsightly especially when they protrude from the skin.
Typical reasons for mole removal are because there is a risk it has become malignant (cancerous) or because it has become a nuisance (for example catching on clothes or a razor), or simply because it is unsightly or upsetting to the person with the mole.
Methods of mole removal:
Radio Surgical Mole Removal
One of the preferred methods of mole removal, the procedure is safe and highly effective. Beams are emitted onto the skin penetrating the mole. Healing is rapid and scarring is virtually non-existent.
Laser Mole Removal
The introduction of resurfacing lasers has made the mole removal of these simple compound naevi on the face, much easier and the cosmetic results are generally very good, with very little in the way of scarring or marks after the procedure.
Excision Mole Removal
Formal surgical removal is the treatment of choice when there is any doubt as to whether the mole is innocent as the whole mole can be sent to the laboratory for examination. The treatment involves a local anaesthetic injection and the doctor removing a small amount of skin surrounding the mole. The wound is stitched and these are removed 5-10 days later.
Cryotherapy (Freezing) Mole Removal
Liquid nitrogen treatment (Cryotherapy) can remove moles. Also known as “freezing”, liquid nitrogen is also a common treatment for warts. When applied directly to a mole, the liquid nitrogen will destroy the cell tissue and get rid of the mole. Cryotherapy can be uncomfortable and cause altered pigmentation. It should not be used on the same area skin more than once a week.
All mole removal procedures, both surgical and laser, leave a small scar which is normally far less noticeable than the original mole. The latest techniques ensure any scarring is minimal. Rarely, some people with very dark or light skin have an abnormal response to healing and end up with larger scars than usual (hypertrophic or keloid scars).
It is unusual to develop complications after laser mole removal. Sometimes the surface of the treated skin may be slightly raised or slightly lower than the surrounding area, although this blends in with time. As the root of the mole is not removed, it can recur but this can be easily retreated. Pigmented moles can also re-pigment after treatment.
Wart Removal
Warts are benign lesions of the skin, caused by a special kind of virus - Human Papillomavirus - (HPV), which most commonly occurs in children and young adults. The infection is thought to be acquired by the introduction of the virus into the skin, by defects in the epidermis (top layer of the skin). They vary in size and may be accompanied by pain, especially if they occur in the feet (plantar warts).
Radiosurgery or Radio Surgical Wart Removal
One of the most preferred method of wart removal. The procedure is safe and highly effective. Beams are emitted onto the skin penetrating the wart. Healing is rapid and scarring is very unusual.
Cryotherapy Wart Removal
Traditional treatments for warts have involved physical destruction of the virally infected cell. These treatments include the application of acids, liquid nitrogen therapy, electrocautery and carbon dioxide ablation. Such treatments all cause destruction of the top layer of the skin and may result in permanent scarring. In many cases warts are found to be resistant to these kinds of therapy.
Laser Wart Removal
Treatment using a laser can selectively destroy warts without damaging the surrounding skin. The laser works by selectively destroying blood vessels that supply the wart, as well as thermally destroying the wart itself. Compared with alternative treatments, laser therapy can treat warts with remarkable safety and efficacy, even those warts that have become resistant to previous treatment.
Most patients are happy to have laser treatment without the use of anaesthetic creams and treatment is usually uncomfortable rather than painful. However, for those patients with sensitive skin, a topical anaesthetic cream can be applied prior to treatment.
The average number of treatment sessions and response rates for wart removal using the Pulsed Dye laser vary according to size and location. It will typically require no more than five treatment sessions. In some rare instances, recalcitrant warts (i.e. warts that have failed all other previous treatment) may require more than five treatments or even fail to clear.
After laser, or radio surgery, treatment patients may bathe normally. Please note, after treatment some increase pigmentation may occur, particularly for those with darker skins, but will disappear in time.
It is unusual to develop complications after wart removal, however all wart removal procedures, both surgical and laser, will typically leave a small scar which is normally far less noticeable than the original wart. Rarely, some people with very dark or light skin have an abnormal response to healing and end up with larger scars than usual.
Skin Tag Removal
Skin Tags (Acrochordons) are small, brown or flesh-coloured growths of skin that typically narrow at their base.
Skin tags are soft flaps of skin that vary in size from very tiny to the size of a pencil eraser tip. They do not cause pain unless they become twisted, irritated, or inflamed. Skin tags are likely to grow on skin surfaces that are hot, moist, or frequently rubbed such as the neck, armpit, and groin.
Skin tags usually appear around the neck, under the arms, under the breasts, in groin creases, and on the inside of the upper thigh area. Skin tags are harmless, although they are sometimes irritated by clothing or jewellery and can interfere with shaving and other routine grooming. Why and how skin tags form is not entirely known, but there are correlations with age and obesity.
Cryotherapy (Freezing) Skin Tag Removal
Liquid nitrogen treatment (Cryotherapy) can get rid of skin tags. Also known as “freezing”, liquid nitrogen is also a common treatment for warts and freckles. When applied directly to a mole, the liquid nitrogen will destroy the cell tissue and get rid of the mole. Cryotherapy can be painful and cause scarring, and should not be used on the same area of skin more than once a week.
Laser Skin Tag Removal
The introduction of resurfacing lasers has made the removal of these skin tags, much easier and the cosmetic results are generally very good, with very little in the way of scarring or marks after the procedure.
Electrolysis Skin Tag Removal
The fine tip of the probe (about the size of an eyelash) is introduced along the line of the capillary and a tiny energy current is discharged. The current destroys the vessels 'feeding' the Skin Tag 'starving' it of nourishment resulting in its eventual demise.
Cauterisation Skin Tags Removal
Another medical procedure for removing skin Tags involves cauterising the tag using a medical probe which literally burns the tag away and then seals the wound immediately. This procedure can be a little uncomfortable; this can be alleviated using a mild anaesthetic.
Most Skin Tag removal methods leave a very small scar, which typically is hardly noticeable. Some cause a small scab which will fall off in time. There are rarely complications or side effects associated with skin tag removal.