Regular mole checks and removal is strongly recommended by physicians for both early skin cancer detection and prevention for all individuals. Some individuals are at a greater risk for developing skin cancer than others including individuals who have a family history that includes skin cancer as well as those with fair skin.
All individuals who do have moles anywhere on their skin should keep an eye out for any changes in size, shape, color, or texture of the moles as these are possible signs of skin cancer. If any of these changes are detected by an individual at any time, he or she should schedule an appointment with a reputable physician as soon as possible so that a more thorough examination of the individual’s skin can be performed.
If a mole is deemed suspicious, a mole removal and biopsy will be performed. Mole removals should always be performed by a board-certified cosmetic surgeon because they have knowledge and experience in exactly what they are looking for as well as how deeply they can cut into the skin with minimal scarring.
Most mole removals can be done without the use of general anesthesia. Instead, the area of the mole removal will be numbed with a local anesthetic and the doctor will shave the mole off. If the procedure requires a doctor to go deeply into the skin, stitches will be required which may cause discomfort for the patient for a few days.
