Stafford Skincare

providing specialist dermatology care

Surgical removal of moles and skin tags / Cryotherapy for warts

Moles and skin tags are extremely common on the face and other parts of the body. Although most of these skin growths are benign (harmless), some people find them cosmetically embarrassing or they can cause problems when shaving, applying make-up or by catching on clothes.

Mole removal is a simple procedure. Firstly, a local anaesthetic is injected into the area of the mole, to numb the skin. If the mole is raised and flesh-coloured it can simply be sliced off level to the skin, usually leaving only a slight pale round scar. Stitches are not necessary as the wound is very superficial and any small bleeding points are stopped with cautery. The whole procedure takes about 20 minutes. This technique is called “shave biopsy” and is also used to remove skin tags.

If a mole is pigmented (coloured), or if it is changing, then it is usually removed by an “elliptical excision”. For this, a scalpel blade is used to cut into the deeper layers of the skin after the area has been numbed. The wound is then closed with stitches, leaving a linear scar. The procedure takes about 30 minutes.

Mole Skin Check: All moles are screened using a dermatoscope prior to removal to help detect any early signs of skin cancer.

benign mole on chin

skin tags on the lower neck

Cryotherapy (freezing)

Cryotherapy is used to treat seborrhoeic and viral warts.

Seborrhoeic warts are extremely common and are found especially on the trunk, but also on the face. They have a rough surface and may vary in colour from light brown to almost black. They usually start to appear in middle age. Although they are harmless, some people find them cosmetically embarrassing or they may catch on clothing. Treatment with cryotherapy may remove the seborrhoeic wart or reduce its size. Sometimes a pale scar may develop at the treatment site.

Viral warts are most often found on the hands and feet, and tend to affect younger people. In general, it is usually best to try over-the-counter wart paints first for several months to treat viral warts. If these aren’t helping then cryotherapy can be tried, but several treatments are usually necessary. As cryotherapy can be painful, especially on the hands and feet, it is not usually recommended for young children.

multiple seborrhoeic warts on the back

FAQS

Q. What are the reasons for removing a mole?
A. Moles can be removed for 2 reasons:
For cosmetic reasons – if the mole is cosmetically embarrassing or catching when shaving.
If the mole is suspicious – a mole that is changing in shape, size or colour or if it itches or bleeds.

Q. What happens after the mole is removed?
A. It is usually best to send the mole for histological examination to ensure that there are no abnormal cells present in the deeper layers of the skin.

Q. Will there be a scar after mole removal?
A. All surgical procedures result in a scar of some sort. For shave biopsy the scar is usually slightly pale and round. For elliptical excisions the scar is linear. Rarely, some patients can develop a thickened, raised scar (hypertrophic or keloid scar) after treatment.

Q. Are there any other risks with skin surgery?
A. With small skin surgical procedures, the risks are usually minimal, but some people may develop a wound infection, bleeding or scarring after surgery.

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© K.A.Ward 2009