Is laser mole removal expensive?

Laser mole removal of a single spot can be relatively inexpensive, especially if the spot responds to a single treatment. However, most spots treated by laser require several treatments (typically 3 or 4) and this increases the cost.

Many lesions that aren’t actually moles, such as angiomas, lentigines, seborrhoeic keratoses or telangiectasia (visible blood vessels) can be removed with a single laser treatment. At Spot Check, we charge approximately $120-150 for IPL or laser treatment of a single spot on a single occasion (this fee does not include follow-up or any additional treatments).

Most skin lesions require more than a single treatment to completely resolve, and this can add to the expense. A course of treatments to a single spot such as a lentigo (age spot) or mole costs several hundred dollars. The fee for removing additional spots is less, and generally calculated on a case-by-case basis considering the number, size and location of lesions to treat. For example, some patients wish to treat multiple (up to 20 or 30) angiomas at one time. We can calculate a package fee for treating multiple lesions over repeated visits.

Removing a mole safely and without scarring includes extra risks and considerations which may further increase the fee.

It’s safe to remove moles in general, and in particular laser mole removal is safe because there is minimal risk of scarring, infection or pain following the procedure. However, it’s important to avoid the risk of inadvertently treating a melanoma with a laser, which could theoretically lead to it spreading undetected. This means whenever laser mole removal is contemplated, the mole must be examined closely by an experienced doctor using a dermoscope. The doctor may use additional techniques to rule out melanoma, including AI-based assessment of dermoscopic photos, spectroscopic analysis, and serial high-magnification photography to check for changes before the mole is removed. These extra examinations and investigations can add to the cost of laser mole removal. This means the fee for laser mole removal is several hundred dollars for the first mole, and less per mole for multiple moles.

The total fee for laser mole removal at Spot Check Clinic includes:

• Examination of your mole(s) by a skin cancer doctor to determine suitability for treatment and the most appropriate technique for removing the mole.
• Extra investigations if required (e.g. biopsy, AI image analysis, and/or spectroscopic analysis) to get more information about the risk of the mole being a skin cancer.
• All necessary treatments to ensure that the mole appears to be completely removed.
• Scar remodelling treatments if required.

In addition, for moles removed from highly-visible areas (face, upper chest, front of neck, visible parts of scalp), the fee includes:

• A session of LED light therapy to speed wound healing.
• Complimentary hypochlorous acid/silicone gel to further improve wound healing and reduce scarring risk.

For details about our fees for mole removals, see our pricing page.

Note: Laser mole removal is a cosmetic procedure and there is no Medicare or private health insurance rebate payable. People not covered by Medicare will have to pay extra out-of-pocket expenses if a biopsy and histological examination are performed.