FACET Dermatology
Mole Removal Toronto
Moles are common skin growths that can appear anywhere on the body. They vary in size, shape, and colour, and though often benign, can affect our comfort, appearance, and even self-esteem. For these reasons and more, many patients decide to have moles removed.
Mole Removal Toronto
At FACET Dermatology, we offer a range of options for safe mole removal, including shave and surgical excision performed by Dr. Geeta Yadav, a highly-skilled, board-certified dermatologist with extensive training and experience.
How Mole Removal Works
When it comes to mole removal, the first step will always be a thorough assessment performed by Dr. Yadav, including a biopsy sent to pathology. Once it has been established that the moles in question are benign, we will determine whether a surgical or shave excision is the ideal course of treatment.
Shave excision involves the use of a thin tool to carefully slice away the mole. The procedure is simple and does not require any stitches. With surgical excision, the entire mole including the root is cut out using a scalpel, after which the incision is closed with stitches. This form of removal carries the least likely chance of regrowth, but unlike shave excision, can cause potential scarring.
Is mole removal safe?
When performed by an experienced board-certified dermatologist, mole removal is an extremely straightforward and safe outpatient procedure. A local anesthetic is administered prior to the procedure, and you should not feel any pain at all. As with any surgical procedure, a mole removal scar may occur. FACET Dermatology offers cosmetic treatments to help minimize scarring.
What does mole removal treat?
+ Harmless Moles
+ Skin tags
+ Junctional moles
+ Flat moles
+ Congenital moles
+ Acral moles
How many mole removal treatments are needed?
The goal of this treatment is to completely remove unwanted moles or to reduce the mole as much as possible while minimizing the mole removal scar. Typically, mole removal can be achieved in a single procedure.
When should a mole be removed?
When moles are potentially cancerous skin lesions, they of course should be removed. In the case of benign moles, a mole removal procedure should be performed if they're cosmetically bothersome, even if they're harmless moles. If you feel your moles are not beauty marks, but unattractive, and affecting your self confidence or are making you feel self conscious, it may be time to consider mole removal. Most patients choose to have larger moles removed from their skin, but any regular moles can be removed to create clearer skin.
What do cancerous moles look like?
Experienced dermatologists like Dr. Yadav will be able to determine if a mole is a sign of skin cancer, but there are a few attributes that could signal the presence of cancerous skin lesions.
In many cases, "bad moles" look like atypical moles. Irregular moles might have uneven borders, pigmented cells that go beyond the perimeter of the mole into the surrounding skin, or an evolving texture or shape. A mole invisible to the eye, or one that blends in perfectly to the skin could even be a sign of melanoma.
Raised moles are not inherently a sign of skin cancer, but if you are concerned, it's always better to be safe than sorry and see your dermatologist.
Frequently asked questions about mole removal
Mole removal is an effective solution for men and women looking to remove unwanted moles anywhere on the body.
+ Quick & easy treatments
+ Comfortable treatments
+ Safe & effective
+ Little to no downtime
The results of your mole removal will be immediate.
Recovery time differs depending on the treatment used, and will also vary depending on the location, size, and depth of the mole. In general, the healing process from mole removal can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. As the area heals, you may feel some pain, soreness, or itching which should subside as healing progresses.
We recommend you keep the treated area dry on the day of treatment, after which you can keep the area clean with soap and water; pat to dry. If you’re using a bandage, change it daily and apply Polysporin ointment or Vaseline for one to two weeks. If you have stitches, avoid taking a bath or swimming for four days; showers are fine. Once healed, apply sunscreen to the area daily.
Whether or not your procedure causes scarring depends entirely on how you're getting your mole removed. Shave excisions, which are also a common choice for skin tag removal, consist of using a thin blade to slice away the mole. This cosmetic mole removal treatment is simple, completely painless, and leaves minimal scaring.
Surgically excising the scar is more likely to cause scarring as stitches are necessary. With this form of mole removal, the mole is cut out at the root with a scalpel.
In rare cases, moles do grow back after mole removal treatment. Moles grow back when not all the cells of the mole are removed. Because surgical excision removes the mole in its entirety, you're less likely to see a mole return after this procedure.
