Mole and Skin Lesion Removal

Mole, Cyst and Skin Growth Removal

Sometimes the smallest things can make a big impact on your appearance. We all accumulate moles, freckles, age spots, skin tags, and other growths on our faces as we age. Removal of these "things" can have a surprisingly dramatic effect on your appearance. You might need less makeup...and you might find that your "on-air" time increases significantly...

Surgery to remove moles is performed under local anesthesia and usually does not require significant "down-time". It is simple and straightforward. While most moles are benign, some, particularly large, changing or irregularly shaped moles might actually be precancerous or even skin cancer.

Why Have a Plastic Surgeon Remove a Mole?

You might also ask, "why should I have a plastic surgeon remove my mole when a dermatologist or family doctor can do it and it will cost me less." That's a valid question. Almost any doctor can remove your mole. Here's what I do to give you the best possible result. First and foremost, the entire mole needs to be removed or it will return. If it's big enough to be looked under the microscope, then I send your mole or other thing to the pathologist for an examination.  I orient the incision (and the ultimate scar) along a normal wrinkle line. If possible, I hide the scar in a skin fold. A longer less noticeable scar is better than a shorter, more visible scar. Then I lift the edges of the skin to take tension off of the closure. (For you medical gurus, that's called "undermining".) Importantly, I close the incision in two layers - I use dissolving stitches deep and very fine stitches or even glue (Dermabond) in the top layer. Finally, the stitches are removed early. How early? It depends on the anatomical location.

So that's how I, as a plastic surgeon, try to give you the best possible scar. Other types of doctors simply do not have the training and experience to perform surgery in optimally aesthetic manner. Yes, they might cost less...and that may be perfectly fine for many people, but if you care about your appearance, you will want the best possible technique.

The vast majority of people have scars that are fairly hard to see a few months after the procedure. New scars are usually red and raised, and they begin to settle after a few months. My goal is to give you a scar that does not have to be covered with makeup. That's  not always possible, because some people just make a lot of scar. But remember that almost any scar can be covered by makeup, but most moles can not be covered.

When you gradually accumulate growths on your skin, you often don't see what other people see.  But moles and brown splotches and tags aren't pretty.  And they cause "cognitive dissonance" when someone looks at your face. I will often perform hour or longer sessions, shaving seborrheic keratoses, snipping skin tags, and maybe freezing or excising various "things" to give your face a clean, fresh appearance. After a few days, you'll look in the mirror and wonder why you waited so long.

Reconstruction After Mohs Surgery

If you are seeing a "Mohs dermatologist" for a skin cancer excision, you might consider having a plastic surgeon perform the reconstruction. Often, reconstructions are simple wound closures, but sometimes sophisticated flaps or grafts might be necessary to help avoid a deformity, particularly when the cancer is on your face. If you are having a Mohs procedure, contact our office soon and come in for a consultation before your Mohs and coordinate a reconstruction - either in the office or in the hospital - within a few days of the excision.

I perform mole and skin lesion removal at my Park Avenue office in Manhattan and at my office in Franklin Park, New Jersey.