The majority of moles that occur before the age of 30 are benign and are removed for cosmetic reasons, especially those on the face or neck. We perform laser mole removal using the Ellman Surgitron. The Ellman provides body and facial mole removal without cutting or stitches, intending to remove the lesion without perceptible scarring. Cosmetic mole removal is different from removing a mole or lesion that has changed or grown. The latter needs adequate excision at a Skin Cancer clinic or Dermatologist, and the mole needs to be sent for pathology. The Ellman can also be used to remove skin tags, seborrheic keratosis and other benign skin growths.
The Process of Laser Mole Removal
Most people decide to get rid of large moles and other skin growths that are either concerned for the appearance ( this is common with large moles on the face) or because they get irritated by rubbing on clothing.
- The first step is to book in for a consultation with Dr David Ballantyne. There is an $80 consultation fee, but if you decide to proceed with the treatment at the appointment, this fee is deducted from the Ellman cost.
- Dr David will advise if the lesion needs to be examined by a Skin Cancer Doctor or if she can proceed immediately with removal.
Cosmetic Mole Removal Procedure
- The lesion is injected with a local anaesthetic to numb it during the procedure.
- The radiofrequency shaving process should be entirely painless.
- A dressing will be applied after the procedure.
- The treated area should be covered for the entire healing time, 5-7 days on the face and 10 – 14 days on the rest of the body.
How many mole removal treatments will I need?
Generally, it will just be one procedure. However, sometimes a second and very rarely a third treatment is required.
Will there be a scar after the laser mole removal?
It is virtually impossible not to leave a scar after a lesion is removed, but the Ellman Surgitron aims to leave an imperceptible scar. There may be some slight lightening in colour in the area removed, but generally, over months, this most often becomes unnoticeable. This is particularly important with facial mole removal.
- After the mole removal, there is a shallow sore, which is covered until it is healed.
- After the dressing is removed, this will be redder than the surrounding skin as the healing process continues.
There are special cases that need to be considered, including people with darker skin types or those at risk of keloid scarring. (see below)
Are There Risks with Body & Facial Mole Removal?
There are risks associated with any procedure though these are generally rare unless you have specific skin types.
- Mild risk of infection, which is generally handled by adequate dressing until healed.
- The risk of bleeding afterwards is rare
- if you have a darker skin type and have had dark pigmentation in areas of scars previously; you will develop this after the mole removal.
- If you are at risk of pigmentation, our Doctor may advise using prescription creams afterwards to minimise.
- There is also the risk of keloid scarring – once again, this is minimised by wearing continuous dressing post-procedure and using silicon gel after initial healing. Keloid scarring does not generally occur on the face, so we do not know except this reaction with facial mole removal.
Our Doctor will discuss and assess the risk of keloid scarring and hyperpigmentation.
Call Us on 3350 5447 to book an assessment with Dr David Ballantyne
Laser Mole Removal
The Ellman Surgitron is often referred to as laser mole removal. However, strictly it is not a laser but radiofrequency cutting. Laser mole removal can be performed with various lasers that ablate or cut the surface tissue. This includes CO2 laser, erbium and KTP laser. We can perform laser mole removal with our CO2 laser, but the Ellman achieves superior results.