Description of Procedure

The majority of moles and other blemishes are benign (not-cancerous). They will never be a threat to the health of the person. Spots or blemishes that warrant medical concern are those that do something out of the ordinary - those that act differently from other existing moles. This includes any spot that changes in size, shape, color, bleeds, itches, becomes painful, or moles that appear when a person is past 20.

A person may wish to get rid of moles that are irritating them, or simply because they are unattractive. The most common methods of removal include numbing and shaving the mole off, or cutting out the entire lesion and stitching the area closed.

Most procedures used to remove moles take only a short time and can be performed in a dermatologist's office. Sometimes a mole will recur after it is removed. If a mole has been removed and begins to reappear, the patient should return to the dermatologist.