A mole is a cluster of skin cells — usually brown, black, or skin tone — that can appear anywhere on your body. They usually show up before age 20. Most are benign, meaning they’re not cancerous.

First, Dr AK will take a good look at the mole. If he thinks it’s not normal, he’ll either take a tissue sample or remove it completely.

Dr AK will send the sample to a lab to be looked at more closely. This is called a biopsy. If it comes back positive, meaning it is cancerous, the entire mole and area around it need to be removed to get rid of the dangerous cells.

Mole removal is a simple kind of surgery. Normally Dr AK will do it in his office. He’ll likely choose one of two ways:

• Surgical excision. Dr AK will numb the area. He’ll use a scalpel or a sharp, circular blade to cut out the mole and some healthy skin around it. He’ll stitch the skin closed.
• Surgical shave. This is done more often on smaller moles. After numbing the area, Dr AK will use a small blade to shave off the mole and some tissue beneath it. Stitches aren’t usually needed.

The biggest risk after surgery is bleedingm infection and scar. Carefully follow instructions to care for the wound until it heals. This means keeping it clean, moist, and covered.

Sometimes the area will bleed a little when you get home, especially if you take meds that thin your blood. Start by gently holding pressure on the area with a clean cloth or gauze for 20 minutes. If that doesn’t stop it, call your doctor. If you see more redness, pus discharge or if your wound is not healing, you will need to contact us. We do our best to give you no scars; however, scar formation is multifactorial and may be unpreventable at times.

The treatment area will likely scab over in the days following the procedure. After the scab falls off, you may notice slight imperfections in the skin. But they will hardly be noticeable to others.