Mole Removal: What Happens, How It's Done, And More - Healthline

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Everything You Should Know About Mole Removal

Medically reviewed by Reema Patel, MPA, PA-C — Written by Stephanie Watson — Updated on April 12, 2023

Identifying cancerous moles
In-office removal
Home treatments
Harmful home treatments
See a doctor
Takeaway

A dermatologist can remove a mole with procedures including freezing and excision. The method can vary depending on the size, location, and whether they suspect it is cancerous.

Moles are common skin growths. You probably have more than one on your face and body. Most people have 10 to 40 moles somewhere on their skin, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

Most moles are harmless and nothing to worry about. Unless a mole is cancerous, you don’t need to have it removed unless it bothers you. But if you don’t like the way it affects your appearance, or if it’s getting irritated from rubbing against your clothes, removing the mole is still an option.

How do I find out if a mole is cancerous?

The best way to know if a mole is cancerous is to see a dermatologist for an annual skin cancer screening. If you have a history of skin cancer, your dermatologist may recommend screening more often.

Meanwhile, you should schedule a checkup with your dermatologist if you notice any moles that:

are asymmetrical
have irregular borders
are not uniform in color
have a diameter that’s larger than a pencil eraser
are evolving or changing in size, shape, or color

These are known as the ABCDEs of mole checks.

These types of moles should be evaluated by a dermatologist, who can then decide if they should be tested for skin cancer.

How is it done? (in office)

A dermatologist can typically remove a mole during a routine office visit. Sometimes a follow-up visit is necessary to complete a mole removal.

Two main types of surgical procedures are used for mole removal:

Freezing. This procedure uses a small amount of liquid nitrogen to remove a noncancerous mole.
Burning. This procedure uses an electric current to burn off the upper layers of a noncancerous mole. It may take more than one session to complete the mole removal.
Shaving. This procedure involves using a surgical blade to shave the mole off the skin’s surface.
Excision. This procedure goes deeper than shaving to excise the entire mole and stitch the skin back together. This type of removal is typically used if the mole is cancerous.

If necessary, your dermatologist can evaluate the mole that’s been removed for skin cancer.

Are there effective ways to remove moles at home?

A number of websites offer “do-it-yourself” tips for removing a mole at home. These methods are not proven to work, and some may be dangerous. You should talk with your doctor about your options before you try any home remedies for mole removal.

Some of these unproven methods include:

burning the mole off with apple cider vinegar
taping garlic to the mole to break it down from the inside
applying iodine to the mole to kill the cells inside
cutting off the mole with scissors or a razor blade

Other home remedies that claim to remove moles include applying:

a mixture of baking soda and castor oil
banana peel
frankincense oil
tea tree oil
hydrogen peroxide
aloe vera
flaxseed oil

Pharmacies and online stores also sell mole removal creams. To use these creams, you first scrape off the top part of the mole. Then you rub the cream into the mole. The products claim that within a day after applying the cream, a scab will form. When the scab falls off, the mole will go with it.

That said, you should never remove a mole at home. Mole removal should be done by a medical professional like a dermatologist, who can send it to a lab to be evaluated for cancer.

Safer alternatives

A safer way to conceal moles if you’re self-conscious about them is to cover them with makeup. If you have a hair growing out of a mole, it’s safe for you to clip the hair or pluck it.

Why home removal is harmful

Home mole removal methods sound pretty easy and convenient. You might be tempted to try one of these techniques to avoid a visit to your dermatologist’s office. Yet there’s no evidence that home treatments for mole removal work, and some of them could be dangerous.

A few studies have reported on side effects from mole removal creams available at drugstores and online stores. These creams can cause thick scars to form in the area of the mole.

Removing moles by cutting them off with a sharp object like scissors or a razor blade carries risks, too. Cutting off any growth increases your risk of infection, especially if the tool you use is not properly sanitized. You can also create a permanent scar where the mole once was.

Another risk of removing a mole yourself is that you can’t tell if a mole is cancerous. A mole could be melanoma. If you don’t have a dermatologist test the mole and it is cancerous, it could spread throughout your body and become life threatening.

When to see a doctor

See a dermatologist if you want to remove a mole that bothers you. And definitely schedule a checkup if any moles have changed, which could be a sign of skin cancer. The doctor can do a biopsy, which is removing a small piece of the mole to test under a microscope to see if it’s cancerous.

The takeaway

If you have a mole that isn’t changing and doesn’t bother you, the best thing to do is to leave it alone. But if you don’t like the way the mole affects your appearance or if your clothes are irritating it, see a dermatologist to remove it safely.

Also be sure to see a dermatologist if the mole has changed color, size, or shape, or if it scabs over. These could be signs of skin cancer. Getting a potentially cancerous mole checked out and removed could prevent the cancer from spreading.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

5 reasons to see a dermatologist for mole, skin tag removal. (n.d.).https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/mole-skin-tag-removal
Annual exams: Five easy steps to prepare yourself. (n.d.).https://www.skincancer.org/early-detection/annual-exams/
Bronswick T, et al. (2013). From mole to scar: The unintended consequence of treatment with an over-the-counter mole removal cream.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24517044
How to spot skin cancer. (2020).https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/how-to-spot-skin-cancer.html
McAllister JC, et al. (2009). Adverse effects of a mole removal cream.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19840333/
Moles: Overview. (n.d.).https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/moles-overview
Venosa A. (2021). DIY don’ts: Why at-home mole removal is a bad idea.https://www.skincancer.org/blog/diy-donts-why-at-home-mole-removal-is-a-bad-idea/

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Medically reviewed by Reema Patel, MPA, PA-C — Written by Stephanie Watson — Updated on April 12, 2023

Mole Removal: What Happens, How It's Done, And More - Healthline

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How do I find out if a mole is cancerous?

How is it done? (in office)

Are there effective ways to remove moles at home?

Safer alternatives

Why home removal is harmful

When to see a doctor

The takeaway

How we reviewed this article:

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