What is a Mole?

Moles are benign (noncancerous) growths of a specific type of skin cells called melanocytes. Moles are typically slightly darker than your skin, but their color can vary from lighter to your normal skin to dark brown. Moles most often occur on the face, chest, back, and proximal extremities, but they can occur anywhere on the body. If you are concerned about a mole, please schedule an appointment to have our expert dermatologist examine your mole.

Noncancerous moles do not need to be removed. Moles are typically removed when they become irritated due to being in a location that catches on your clothing or jewelry. Moles can also be removed for cosmetic reasons if you do not like the way the mole looks.

Mole Removal St. Louis

Our board-certified cosmetic dermatologists will examine your mole during your consultation to ensure it is not a cancerous mole. If your mole is concerning, a biopsy will be recommended and the mole sampled. A pathologist will examine your mole microscopically to determine if it requires further treatment.

Benign (noncancers) moles do not need to be biopsied nor removed unless the mole becomes irritated, painful, is in a bad location, or you would like it removed for cosmetic purposes. Large moles in prominent areas such as the face can draw our eye to them, and for this reason, some individuals may want their moles removed. Facial mole removal is common among those individuals.

Cosmetic Mole Removal St. Louis

We specialize in cosmetic mole removal of the face. The type of procedure used for cosmetic mole removal is individualized for every patient. Our board-certified cosmetic dermatologists and fellowship trained facial plastic surgeon will examine your mole and discuss different treatment options with you. Please see our Before & After photos to see some of our patients’ incredible results.

Non-Surgical mole removal

We can remove most moles without surgery. We use a laser or electrosurgical device to target the mole selectively. For this procedure, the mole is sterilized, and local anesthesia is used to numb the mole. The laser or electrosurgical device is used to treat the mole. The spot will heal in 1-2 weeks, and you should apply petroleum ointment daily for 1 week as the mole heals. Most patients only require 1 treatment, though some require a second treatment 4-6 weeks after the first treatment.

Surgical Mole Removal

Surgical mole removal removes the entire mole and can be a good treatment for larger moles or those moles requiring complete removal. Surgical mole removal is considered a minor surgical procedure. It is performed as an outpatient procedure in our office using local anesthesia. The surgical procedure involves numbing and sterilizing the mole and surrounding skin. Then, the mole is excised, and the skin is sutured with dissolvable sutures. After surgery, you should take it easy for 1 week – no heavy lifting or vigorous exercise.

Schedule a Consultation

Schedule your cosmetic mole removal today. Our Board-Certified Cosmetic Dermatologist and Fellowship Trained Facial Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Brandon T. Beal, MD, is an expert in cosmetic mole removal. He has performed hundreds of facial cosmetic mole removals. Please see our Before & After Gallery of our patients’ amazing results.