If you have one or several moles on your body that you’re thinking about having removed, there are a few things to bear in mind.

The first one, as always, should be considered from a health standpoint.

Is the mole considered by your GP to be troublesome, health wise? If so, it clearly needs treating. If, however, it is benign, removal is purely a cosmetic decision.

There’s nothing wrong with this; people have moles removed all of the time. Some do this because they find them embarrassing, while others are an irritant.

Whatever reasons you have for wanting mole removal skin surgery, they’re personal to you, and there’s no such thing as a right or wrong answer! Despite this, we recommend taking into account the following before going ahead with any form of treatment.

You might need more than one session to remove the mole

If surgery isn’t something you enjoy, or if you don’t have the money to spend repeatedly on a private clinic, it’s worth bearing in mind that some moles need several rounds of treatment before they’re removed entirely.

Most moles only need one, but the clinic should always discuss this with you fully before surgery.

Your overall health can be affected in the long run

Mole removal surgery is safe and generally has very little in terms of side effects, or long-lasting impacts to your health.

Despite this, if you decide to have a mole removed without speaking to your GP first, you’ll remove the chance of it being diagnosed in the future.

Mole removal surgery takes away the colour of the mole, which means any chance of diagnosis further down the line will be much harder. If the colour is removed, you’ll never be able to see changes in colour, or indeed the shape.

This is why it’s always sensible to visit your doctor first before having any cosmetic mole removal surgery.

Surgical removal is normally the preferred route for GPs

If your GP wants to examine the mole further, they won’t use laser, which some people often prefer.

In order to send a sample to the lab for testing, they’ll need to remove the mole surgically. As such, a scar is often left in its place, and some people might experience some slight discomfort during the recovery period.

Moles can grow back

Although fairly rare, there is alway the chance that a mole could grow back or another one develop near the original location.

Moles that are completely removed may still leave some cells behind, which could result in regrowth. It’s also worth bearing in mind that if your mole has hairs growing from it, these can sometimes continue to grow after the mole has been removed.

It’s your choice

Mole removal, when cosmetic, is entirely a personal choice. We hope our advice above has helped guide you towards a decision, but if you want to talk to us in more detail, please do not hesitate to get in touch and arrange a consultation.