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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffIf your doctor takes a tissue sample of the mole and finds it to be cancerous, the entire mole and a margin of normal tissue around it needs to be removed. Usually a mole that has been removed won't reappear. If it does, see your doctor promptly.
Treatment of most moles usually isn't necessary. For cosmetic reasons, a mole can be removed in several ways:
- Shave excision. In this method, your doctor numbs the area around a mole and then uses a small blade to cut around and beneath the mole. This technique is often used for smaller moles and doesn't require sutures.
- Punch biopsy. Your doctor may remove a mole with a small incision or punch biopsy technique, which uses a small cookie-cutter-like device.
- Excisional surgery. In this method, your doctor cuts out the mole and a surrounding margin of healthy skin. Sutures are used to close the skin.
These procedures are usually performed in the office of your doctor or dermatologist and take only a short time.
