How many visits to the clinic do I need for mole removal?

Angiomas, seborrhoeic keratoses, lentigines removed with laser, BBL, electrosurgery or cryotherapy (seborrhoeic keratoses)

In many cases, a single treatment with no follow-up required.

Some of these lesions require more than one treatment; you should know in about 4 weeks if the lesion has resolved completely.

Dermal moles and other lesions removed using radiofrequency surgery

Usually, a single treatment is required to remove the lesion. We ask that you return for a follow-up visit 4-6 weeks later to check for evidence of mole regrowth or scarring.

We sometimes recommend a course of LED light therapy treatments to speed up healing following mole removal in highly visible areas. This may involve two visits to the clinic in the week following the mole removal procedure.

If there is evidence of scarring at the follow-up visit, we will provide scar remodelling treatment as required. This may involve visits at 4-6 weekly intervals over several months.

Moles removed using ablative or non-ablative laser

The mole is treated every 4 weeks until there is no remaining pigment on dermoscopic examination. This typically takes 3 to 6 treatments over 2 to 6 months.

Laser treatment damages less tissue than other mole removal methods and is recommended for people at higher risk of scarring. Treatment is applied until the mole or lesion shows an “end point”, such as darkening, becoming pale, bruising or bleeding. At this point, further treatment may cause damage to the surrounding skin. However, it might not have been sufficient to remove all the pigment, so the mole must be reviewed after 4 weeks.