Most of us have a mole or two (or many more) and most of them stay concealed by clothing. But if you are like most other mole owners, the main question in your mind is probably about the best ways of removing moles from your face.
Moles on your face distract people you are talking to – you've probably noticed how their gaze wanders away from your eyes to focus on your mole.
So while having a mole on your face is probably not the worst thing that can happen to you, you will be far more comfortable when your face is mole free.
Removing moles from your face is no big deal. Whether you take the surgical option, or decide to remove your moles in the comfort and privacy of your home, treatments are usually quick, involve little pain, and should be scar free.
Regardless of how you choose to remove moles from your face or anywhere else, please get them checked by a competent doctor or dermatologist. Most moles are harmless blemishes, but some may be cancerous or potentially so, and the very dangerous skin cancer melanoma often resembles a mole. Any suspicious mole should be removed surgically, and such treatments should be covered by medical insurance.
First Thoughts About Facial Mole Removal
Facial moles can occur anywhere from the top of your forehead to your chin and your neck.
In most locations it comes down to personal choice whether you want a doctor or dermatologist to remove them, or whether you want to do it yourself.
But if you have a mole close to an eye or your lips, the surgical option may be preferable. Home remedies involve creams, pastes or oils which can burn or irritate sensitive skin and eyes, and the treatment could be worse than the problem.
Surgical Removal
When done by a skilled surgeon, mole removal should be quick, permanent and scar free. It requires a fine balance between removing the entire mole, some of which extends beneath the surface of the skin, and minimizing the development of a scar. It's not always easy, and a low impact operation may result in regrowth of the mole if not all of it was removed the first time. Even the best of doctors may need to provide more than one treatment.
Surgical procedures are changing all the time, but there are six main options for mole removal, using five basic techniques – cutting, shaving, burning, freezing and laser surgery.
Cutting or excision is used with suspicious or cancerous moles, and involves removing both the mole or melanoma and some surrounding tissue under a local anesthetic. The operation is supported by pathological studies and usually there is no regrowth. The wound will be closed with stitches, which will have to be removed at a later visit. A thin scar will result, but shouldn't be all that noticeable and will fade over a few months.
Smaller moles may be removed by plug biopsy – the mole is removed with a tool like a micro cookie cutter under anesthetic, and the wound closed usually with a single stitch. This procedure is usually used on normal moles, and scarring is minimal.
Shaving, burning (electrocautery) and laser surgery all work best on flatter moles, and are usually restricted to the surface layers of the skin. When well done they should not leave a scar, although temporary redness may result. They may require more than one visit, and because the treatment does not penetrate far into the skin, mole regrowth may occur in up to a quarter of cases.
Freezing, using liquid nitrogen, is about as effective. The mole is frozen, destroying it and leaving a temporary scab which will soon drop off. If freezing is restricted to the surface of the skin, and you can resist the temptation to pull the scab off before it's ready, there should be no scarring.
All these techniques are suitable for moles anywhere on your face, but your doctor will advise you about your options.
Be prepared for some expense – several visits may be necessary, and unless the mole is cancerous the operation will be regarded as cosmetic surgery by your insurance company, and you will have to pay the full amount yourself.
Home Treatments
There are numerous home remedies available, some using commercial creams you can buy from your drug store, department store or online, and others using natural products and plants which you may have around your home.
They are far cheaper than the surgical alternatives.
While many of these may be worth a try on concealed moles, a lot of the folk remedies are unproven, or can take a long time to work. Some, like sticking a banana skin over the mole, seem totally unsuitable for removing moles from your face.
So let's leave out the doubtful methods.
That leaves us with two main forms of treatment – a few applications of some powerful products, or constant and regular treatments over a few days or weeks with less irritating plant or mineral ingredients.
Most commercial treatments are based on sap from plants which attacks and burns or dissolves the mole, after which it will drop off. These are very effective but should be used with care, and may not be appropriate for moles in sensitive places, such as near the eyes.
The best of these are probably Wart Mole Vanish and DermaTend. They involve one or two applications of a paste or ointment to the mole. After the paste has been in contact with the mole for 15 – 20 minutes it must be removed, otherwise normal skin can be damaged.
The mole will shrivel and change into a scab, which will drop off in a few days – bigger moles take longer. Provided directions are followed, there should be no scarring. But this is powerful stuff, and you may care to try it out on an inconspicuous mole before using it on your face.
You can find links to more information on these products at the end of this article.
More gentle treatments involve plant oils or less caustic substances. One very effective method combines castor oil and baking soda, applied three times a day until the mole drops off.
Sounds simple, but the key is in the treatment rather than the ingredients.
Finally discovered a different and viable solution to Warts, Moles and Skin Tags problems.
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