Mole Laser Removal-Laser Treatment Compared to Other Mole Removal Treatments
By Jim Evans
Mole laser removal is just one among many treatment choices you have got when you have decided to get rid of a mole. Before you opt for this method, you owe it to yourself to arm yourself with basic information about what moles are, when they ought to be removed, and what your other options are.
Moles are usually not a threat to your health. They are simply dark spots of pigment that can appear anywhere on your body.
Generally, moles come in two types. First, the moles you may have been born with are rarely any trouble to your well being. They tend to remain the same shape, size and color for the whole of your life. Quite likely you have got several of these already.
Second, moles which appear later in life may appear gradually, and then go on to change shape, color or form. These have to be watched, as they may be the signal that something more serious is afoot.
Moles may be the precursor to skin cancer in some cases. If you are quite fair skinned and live or work in a very bright, sunlit environment, you should regularly check your body for any marks suddenly appearing.
All that said, most of us do not have to worry about our moles. They are naturally occurring events, and do not pose a risk.
So, given that the choice to remove a mole is largely a cosmetic one, which method should you choose?
The three main choices are laser treatment, cryotherapy and surgery. Each has its advantages and drawbacks, so let's look at each in turn.
Laser treatment is the use of a small, hand held laser to literally burn the mole off. It may be a relatively brief procedure or may be longer, depending on the size and depth of your mole.
Remember, a mole is not a growth on your skin, it is part of your skin, a small localized accretion of pigment. Getting rid of it with laser may require repeat treatments, and may entail the removal of a small but significant amount of tissue.
Cryotherapy literally freezes the mole off. Your specialist uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the mole and a small portion of tissue surrounding it. The dead, frozen mole is then removed by lancing it.
Finally, surgical excision is the most radical method. This will incur the greatest cost and time commitment, and you will resort to this only in those cases where you have a very large or noticeable mole and are anxious to be rid of it. Remember that this is a cosmetic, elective procedure, so before you dive into surgery, talk to your insurer as to whether you are covered, and consider options which might be cheaper but give the same result.
Laser treatment recommends itself for smaller, less deep moles. As I said above, you are looking at repeat procedures if your mole is quite deep.
Moreover, laser therapy does have some pain associated with it. The pain has been described as akin to an elastic band being snapped against the skin. It may be quite uncomfortable, depending on where your mole is and your level of pain tolerance. Talk to your specialist about local anesthesia to make the experience as comfortable as possible.
Finally, laser treatment is not necessarily cheap. While it has a good reputation for being a very clean, relatively scar-free solution to mole removal, it may cost you, particularly if you need repeat treatments.