Moles or Melanocytic nevi are growths on the skin that are usually brown or black due to high concentration of melanin in them.
They usually appear in early childhood upto 30 years of age. People might have up to 40 moles on their body. As time passes, the moles tend to change in their appearance, they may increase in size, become raised, and change colour. rarely, one or more hair strands might also erupt through the mole.
Histologically, moles may be classified as epidermal, junctional, and intradermal, depending on the level at which the
cells are present.
Moles may enhance the beauty of a lady, especially those that are present on cheeks, but sometimes they may look ugly as well. In such cases, people usually opt for removal of those ugly lesions.
There are various ways to remove moles.
These include:
1. Radiofrequency ablation or excision
2. Laser excision
3. Shave excision using a surgical blade
4. Elliptical excision and resuturing
There occurs crust formation 2-3 days post procedure, which then falls off on its own in next 5-7 days. So it takes around 7-10 days in total for complete recovery of the skin. It is advisable not to pick the crusts to prevent scar formation.
Superficial lesions do not leave any scar. however, deeper lesions may leave faint superficial scars.
The procedure is required to be done under anaesthesia, either topical or local injectable, depending on the number of lesions and depth of lesions.
Yes, once treated adequately, the results are permanent.