Whenever you see a mole on your skin, you might wonder about getting it removed. Moles are pretty frustrating because they might be worth worrying about and removing, or they might be just a simple skin blemish that won’t do too much to your skin or your overall health.
So before you choose what to do with your mole, make sure to look for these signs and symptoms.
What Are Moles?
First, moles are completely normal and they are simply a collection of pigment cells called melanocytes, and when these cells only multiply as needed, things are all good. The moles are benign and that is that. However, whenever these cells aren’t well behaved, then the mole can transfer into something dangerous or even cancerous.
So how do you know if a mole is benign or dangerous? Well, the answer lies within the mole itself, where most normal moles are either the same color as their surrounding skin or much darker or lighter. But moles that are dangerous are atypical, because they are larger than usual or have uneven shapes or colors inside of them.
These dangerous moles, while not cancerous by themselves, are a risk factor for melanoma. Which is the deadliest type of skin cancer because the cancer can spread to the rest of your body. The best way to handle melanoma is to catch it early, and that means getting a doctor’s eyes on your mole.
How Do You Get Moles Removed?
If you are worried about a mole and want to make sure that isn’t cancerous, then go see a dermatologist and get a doctor to examine your mole. They will direct you to a Mole removal in London clinic to have the offending mole removed. However, mole removal is not limited to moles that might be cancerous or dangerous to your body, because you can also focus on removing moles for a cosmetic procedure as well.
If you have cosmetic mole removal done, the process is the same as surgical removal. The doctor will work to create a custom plan for you and your needs depending on the status of the mole, where it is on the body, and also how large it is. Most moles are removed with a shave biopsy, where the skin around the mole is numbed and then a blade is used to shave the offending mole off.
Your skin will be left with a slight cut that will be healed quickly, and the procedure itself doesn’t require any stitches or downtime at all. For very large moles that could have gone deeper into the skin itself, a punch biopsy is done.
These use a cookie cutter like tool to punch down into the skin and then the mole is carved out with a scalpel, and after that, the wound is stitched up and the mole is often sent to a lab.
What About Insurance?
For moles that need to be removed because they are a health risk for you or are very unsightly and are impeding your way of life, those procedures are generally covered by insurance. However, for mole removal that is done for cosmetic reasons, that is often not covered by your insurance. But always check with your health plan and see what they say.
How Do I Handle Moles I Can’t Remove?
If you have purely cosmetic moles and don’t want to go through the trouble of removing them, then you have a few options for taking care of your moles. For starters you can let them be and accept them as just another blemish on your skin that everyone has.
You can also cover up moles on your face with concealer and makeup, before creating a coverage foundation and applying that over the top of the mole. Other options include getting a tattoo around your mole (useful for body moles), or using facial hair to cover up the mole in question.
There are several options to handle a cosmetic mole without trying to have it professionally removed. However, don’t attempt to remove the moles yourself, because even if you think you can carve out a mole yourself, you likely won’t get deep enough to remove the root of the mole and it will grow back. Plus the wound could get infected and cause you even more problems than it solves.
Get Your Moles Checked Out and Removed By A Professional
If you suspect that your moles are dangerous or potentially cancerous, then you need to have them looked at and removed by a dermatologist for your own health.
Hopefully this information will help when it comes to knowing what to do with your moles!
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