AESTHETIC TREATMENTS
Laser mole removal
Laser can gently remove unwanted moles and lesions with minimal scarring.
- Most effective with dark-coloured flat moles
- Usually requires several treatments over a period of months
- Good for younger people or those with darker skin types
Laser removal is a safe and effective treatment for cosmetic removal of harmless pigmented moles and other skin lesions such as freckles/age spots, angiomas and seborrhoeic keratoses. There’s a low risk of scarring or complications. If you prepare properly and look after the treated area carefully, you’ll achieve the best possible result.
Mole removal with laser treats the mole or skin lesion relatively gently from the top down. Sometimes, it’s hard to see how much of the mole has been destroyed during the treatment, and after the first treatment, there is usually some mole tissue left behind. Typically, completely removing the mole will take several sessions. Laser removal of a mole usually involves repeated treatments a few weeks apart over several months.
“Laser removal of a mole usually involves repeated treatments a few weeks apart over several months.”
There may not be much visible effect at first, but as treatment progresses, the mole usually becomes smaller and paler with minimal effect on the surrounding tissue.
Before and after
MBBS, MA (Virtual Comm), Grad Cert Hlth Info, Grad Dip Comp Inf Sci
Before and 1 month after laser mole removal. Outcome is specific to this particular patient and may not reflect the results experienced by other individuals.
Ablative vs. non-ablative laser mole removal
Ablative
Ablative laser treatment damages the surface of the skin. We use a Q-switch laser, which “shatters” unwanted tissue without generating heat. This means there’s minimal risk of scarring or increased pigmentation due to high temperature in the treatment area.
Ablative mole removal is normally done under a local anaesthetic. Your doctor will remove the mole from the top by treating it layer by layer. If the mole is raised, your doctor may “de-bulk” it by shaving [link to Shave biopsy and excision] off the top with a blade before commencing laser treatment.
Non-ablative
Non-ablative laser surgery means that the skin’s surface is not usually damaged to the point of bleeding. This is a gentle method of mole removal treatment, suitable for flat, dark moles in people with a high scarring risk.
How it’s done
Your doctor may inject a local anaesthetic into the area before the procedure. This stings for a few seconds. To protect your eyes from the laser, you will wear protective goggles or glasses. If your mole is raised, the doctor may shave off the top using a blade before commencing laser treatment to the base of the mole.
The laser treatment consists of multiple bright flashes of light to the mole. As the treatment progresses, the mole may darken, lighten or bleed. The doctor may intermittently wipe the mole with a sterile gauze swab between laser pulses to check on progress. The treatment usually takes several minutes.
After treatment, a dressing or topical product such as silicone gel or vitamin B5 balm will be applied. You will probably need to return to the clinic for further treatments until the mole is resolved. Future treatments may be administered by a nurse under the direction of a doctor.
Mole and risk assessment
It’s important to ensure that the spot you wish to have removed is a harmless mole or other lesion, not a skin cancer. (We can treat a suspected skin cancer, but laser removal isn’t suitable since a biopsy procedure is required.)
To ensure the spot is suitable for laser removal, we must work through a process to rule out skin cancer:
- We ask questions about your medical history and skin cancer risk factors.
- A skin cancer doctor examines your mole using a dermoscope and high-resolution digital photography
- We may use non-invasive tests such as AI image analysis or elastic scattering spectroscopy to get further information about the risk of skin cancer in the spot of concern.
If it resembles a skin cancer, or if you’re at high risk of skin cancer, laser treatment may not be suitable. We’ll discuss alternative methods of mole removal.
Laser treatment could be unsuitable if you’re at risk of complications. It might not be safe if you:
- Are taking medication that makes your skin sensitive to light.
- Have epilepsy or migraines triggered by light.
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Have a suntan, or are wearing fake tan or other tinted skin products.
- Experience frequent and/or severe outbreaks of cold sores.
How to prepare
Laser mole removal works better and there are fewer side effects if you are well prepared.
Avoid sun exposure, and don’t use tinted products or fake tan.
Avoid irritant topical products. If possible, pause any medications that increase skin sensitivity to light.
Read and sign the consent form we’ll send you.
In the morning, wash your skin using a gentle, non-soap cleanser.
If the mole to be removed is in a hairy area, shave the mole and about 1cm around it.
Don’t apply any skin products to the area since they sometimes contain ingredients that can cause irritation when exposed to very bright light, such as a laser. If you will be outside before your procedure and the mole is not covered by clothing, we suggest covering it with a small Band-Aid.
If the mole is on your face or neck, don’t wear any make-up or perfume.
If you experience outbreaks of cold sores and the mole is on your face, we recommend that you take famciclovir (Famvir), three 500mg tablets before your procedure. You can buy two packets of 3 tablets without a prescription.
If you’re taking medication, check the list. If you’re taking any of these medications, ask your prescribing doctor if it’s safe to stop taking them for 2-3 days before your laser procedure. If not, contact us, and our doctor or registered nurse will provide advice.
After your procedure
If there’s a dressing on the wound, leave it in place for 2 days. For non-ablative procedures, moisturise and apply sunscreen daily. For ablative procedures, apply silicone gel twice daily.
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Side effects and warnings
Laser light is extremely bright and can be damaging to the eyes. You’ll wear protective glasses or goggles during your treatment.
After ablative treatment, there may be a small amount of bleeding, skin redness, and irritation for a few days.
We can’t guarantee that you will be satisfied with the result. The mole may re-grow, and there’s a small chance of scarring or skin discolouration. Your doctor will discuss these risks with you before your procedure.
Avoid known photosensitising drugs and chemicals before light-based treatments such as laser, IPL/BBL and LED light therapy. If you are taking these medications, be sun smart every day.
More infoRedness, swelling, blisters and sores are often a common result of aesthetic and skin cancer treatments. In most cases, they can be managed easily and settle gradually over the following weeks. However, it’s important to notify the clinic if you are very uncomfortable or concerned about your reaction being abnormal.
More infoIt's normal to have redness at the site of a procedure, either due to inflammation or as part of the normal wound healing response.
More info
Ask a Spot Check doctor
Mole removal facts
Make sure you know all the important facts before having moles removed.
Need to know more? Contact us or book a consultation.
We use local anaesthetic for potentially painful surgical procedures to reduce discomfort. Many of the procedures we use are almost painless or the pain is extremely brief.
More infoThe fee varies widely, depending on the type of lesion we remove, how many visits your treatment requires and whether we include ancillary treatments such as scar mitigation and LED treatments to improve wound healing.
More infoMost moles don’t need to be removed for medical reasons. The majority are normal and harmless parts of normal skin.
More infoIt’s often possible to remove a mole or skin lesion at home using products purchased online or from pharmacies. However, just because you can remove a mole yourself, it doesn’t mean you should.
More infoThe number varies according to the risk of side effects, the degree of discomfort, the risk of scarring, the appearance of the wounds while they are healing and the time available for treatment.
More infoA mole can come back after removal, usually if some mole tissue is left in place during the mole removal procedure. This can occur for various reasons, such as insufficient treatment width, depth or duration.
More infoFor simple procedures on very superficial lesions, you might only need a single visit. For deeper moles with a higher risk of scarring, you may require multiple treatments over several months.
More infoMole removal usually leaves a scar. The extent of the scarring depends on the size and location of the mole and the method used to remove it.
More infoYou can have a mole removed while you are pregnant. This would normally be done for medical rather than cosmetic reasons (i.e. the mole resembles a skin cancer and should be removed as soon as possible).
More infoMoles can be removed without surgery. This can be a quick, relatively painless and low-scarring way of removing moles. Non-surgical techniques include IPL, laser, cryotherapy, radiofrequency, and electrosurgery. These procedures aren't suitable for all moles. Any mole that resembles a melanoma must be surgically removed.
More infoIn Australia, private health insurance rarely covers or contributes to the cost of mole removal. In order to qualify for a payment from private health insurance, the mole must be removed for medical and not cosmetic reasons, and the removal must be performed while you are a hospital inpatient. Individual insurers and policies vary, so it's always advisable to check with your insurer before claiming for any mole removal procedure.
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