Laser mole removal is a popular procedure at our Sydney clinic. We use several methods of removal, including radiofrequency, excision, shave excision and erbium laser.
Before your appointment you should have your skin checked and any concerning lesions assessed, investigated and treated.
Scarring is very important and the second consideration. Our first consideration is to make sure that the lesion is not suspicious or cancerous. If the lesion is suspicious, either it will require an excision biopsy or a punch biopsy. Suspicious, dysplastic or cancerous lesions are not suitable for laser. Histology is required, so either part of the lesion, or the entire lesion need to be cut out and sent to pathology for examination
Methods of mole, lump and bump removal
- Excision: this is done with sutures and will cause a straight and long scar. This is necessary if the lesion is suspicious
- Punch biopsy. this can be done with or without suturing depending on the size of the punch. Scarring is minimal with small punch biopsies.
- Shave excision. This will shave the lesion to skin level and can be sent to hostopathology.
- Laser mole, lump and bump removal
Each lesion is individual, so a consultation examination and discussion is required to determine which method will suit each lesion and the patient.
Procedure for Laser Mole Removal
Day 1: consultation
Make an appointment to come and see us at The Manse Clinic
At this appointment we will:
- Take your history, including your ancestry, tanning ability, previous mole removal attempts and their complications/success.
- Examine your face and body
- Discuss information about mole removal that is important in your case, discuss the desired outcome
- Take photographs of your moles, lumps and bumps
- We will obtain a written consent for the procedure for mole removal, with a discussion of risks, benefits, pros and cons of the treatment. If the patient signs the consent form, the test patch or procedure will go ahead.
- In some cases, the doctor might recommend to perform test patching on 1-2 lesions before the full treatment can occur
- The practitioner will assess your risk of PIH and may also recommend test patching. If the patient is Fitzpatrick 1-2 (fair skinned) then they can go ahead with the test patch or treatment on the day. If they are darker skin toned or at risk for PIH (Post inflammatory Pigmentation) then they may be advised to use topical lightening agents for 8 weeks prior to treatment. These topical agents are sold at our clinic.
- Patient is to arrive with no makeup and no history of use of self tan/ spray tan for at least 2 weeks
There is opportunity to ask the practitioner questions about the procedure
Laser mole lump and bump removal is performed with our Erbium laser or Pelleve radiofrequency device
Procedure for Laser Mole Removal
The appointment is 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Goggles will be worn by the patient to protect their eyes..
Local anaesthetic may be injected into the skin around the mole, lump or bump..
Multiple pulses of the laser/ radiofrequency device are required for each lesion. The lesion may be shaved first. If no anaesthetic is used procedure is mildly painful, but most patients tolerate it very well. Typically patients will describe the pain as a 3/10. If local anaesthetic has been injected before laser, there will be no pain.
After the treatment, a dressing may be applied to the wounds. These dressings need to be kept on for 3-7 days. You may change the dressings as required.
If erbium laser was used, for the first 24 hours, an overlying 2nd pressure dressing may be used to reduce the likelihood of bleeding overnight. Immediately after the treatment the patient will feel a strong sunburn-like feeling over the treated area. The treated area may be bleeding. This will be stopped before you leave the clinic
At home care after laser mole lump and bump removal
The sunburn-like feeling will last several hours and then reduce.
Sun should be avoided. Be aware that while driving one is exposed to the sun
Do not use acid or antiaging face products or makeup on the affected areas for 10 days after treatment.
If you are at risk of PIH, the practitioner will give instructions for topical products required.
Replace the dressing as required.
What should you expect to see on your skin after laser mole, lump and bump removal?
The wound may bleed overnight, this is common, put pressure on the wound to stop it
A scab will form on the wound and gradually heal over the next 1-6 weeks depending on where on the body the lesion is
Healing times
The healing time differs between body parts after freckle removal. Typical healing times are given below:
- Face 7-9 days
- Neck 9-12 days
- Chest 12-16 days
- Back 2-3 weeks
- Abdo 2-3 weeks
- Arms 3-4 weeks
- Legs 4-6 weeks
The review appointment timing will be arranged with the doctor
Treatment 2
Usually most of the lesion will have been removed in the first treatment. Treatment 2 will be at a minimum of from 3 weeks to 6 weeks after treatment 1, depending on the body area treated.
Your second treatment will proceed exactly as treatment 1.
After 2 treatments
Most patients will be delighted after 1-2 treatments of mole lump and bump removal with erbium laser. The small percentage who are not should have a 3rd treatment
If performing large numbers of mole removal
Each patient will have a different “plan of attack”. When deciding on that person’s particular “plan of attack” we need to take account of the following factors:
- Which areas of moles, lumps and bumps the patient wants removed most urgently.
- Timings of different areas vary, eg the forearms may be best to treat when they can be covered with sleeves, if the patient does not want others to see that they are having the treatment.
- How quickly the patient wants the whole procedure to be complete.
- The healing time of each different area in that patient.
So after discussion with the patient about these factors, a plan can be decided upon, and then revised as required, as we get to know that patient’s healing times etc.
Complications/Risks
- Bleeding of the wound: nearly always occurs the first night of the procedure., should resolve within the first 2 days. Use pressure on the wound with the gauze that we provide to you. Also, it is best to sleep the first night on a dark towel in case of bleeding
- Swelling of the area
- PIH (post inflammatory hyperpigmentation) ie the laser can cause areas of brown pigmentation due to inflammation and the patient’s susceptibility to this. It is less common in the lighter skin tones. Patients who are at risk for this are treated very differently to those who aren’t. Prevention is important, ie prelightening is important, and steroids may be necessary after the treatment.
- Infection: Very uncommon, but always possible when skin is broken. The patient will notice a combination of redness, tenderness, swelling, pain and pus in an affected area. This is a very serious complication and needs to be treated immediately. The doctor should be contacted even if it is a night or a weekend. DO NOT PUT TREATMENT OF INFECTION OFF. Antibiotics are required, we typically suggest Cephalexin 500mg 4 times daily, with 1 repeat. null
- Hypopigmentation/scarring: If a mole is wide and deep, then this is more likely. There will always be slightly different skin where the mole/lump/bump was removed, but patients are general very delighted with the results
- Recurrence of moles after removal: This is quite common, and often the patient will require top up treatments every few years.
- Need for multiple treatments. 1-2 treatments is most typical, but there can be cases where more treatments are necessary
Cost of Mole Removal Treatment
Price of Mole removal treatment .
The amount of lesions that we are able to treat in one session depends on the size of the lesions.
Typically, each mole, lump or bump will require between 1-3 treatments. We can easily get rid of a lesion in one treatment, but the issue is scarring. It is better to perform the procedure in 2 treatments, so that the scarring can be as minimal as possible, which is really important to us and to you, as it will be with you for the rest of your life
Get In Touch
The Manse Clinic Paddington and Uptown Sydney CBD is your trusted Sydney destination for expert aesthetics care. Experience the confidence of flawless skin with our mole removal service. Discover the convenience of mole laser removal near you. Trust our specialised mole removal clinic near you for safe and effective solutions. Connect with us to remove unwanted moles and reveal your natural radiance.
Before and After Laser Mole Removal
