Atypical mole — Atypical moles, or dysplastic moles, can look suspicious in color and size. [2] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Dermatology Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists Go to source They can sometime be larger than an eraser head, have an odd shape, or have many colors. If you have this type of mole, consult your doctor to be sure it is not cancerous. Congenital mole — This is the type of mole you are born with. Roughly, 1 in 100 people are born with moles. They can range in size from tiny (size of a pin head) to giant (larger than a pencil eraser). Doctors suspect that people born with giant moles are at a higher risk for skin cancer. [3] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Dermatology Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists Go to source Spitz nevus — This mole looks pink, raised, and dome shaped. It often looks like melanoma. It may ooze. It may itch or bleed. These are uncommon and mostly benign. [4] X Research source Acquired Mole — This term means moles that are acquired after birth. These are often called common moles.
Asymmetry — The mole looks uneven, or one side does not match the other in size, shape, or color. Border that is irregular — The mole has ragged, blurred, or uneven edges. Color that is uneven — The mole has multiple shades, including black, brown, tan, or blue. Diameter — The mole is large in diameter (typically around ¼ inch wide). Evolving — The mole changes size, shape, and/or color in weeks or months time.
Cut a thin slice of garlic and place it directly on the mole. Cover the area with a bandage. This technique should be repeated twice a day for two to seven days, or until the mole goes away. Alternatively, grind a clove of garlic in a food processor until it breaks down into a paste-like consistency. Dab a little of the paste onto your facial mole and cover it with a bandage. Leave this paste on overnight and rinse it off in the morning. Repeat this procedure for up to one week.
Apply sour apple juice three times a day for up to three weeks. Dab onion juice onto the mole two to four times a day for two to four weeks. Wash the juice off 40 minutes after applying it. Spread pineapple juice over the mole and let it sit overnight before rinsing it off in the morning. You could also apply slices of pineapple directly to the mole. Repeat this once a night for a couple of weeks. Crush coriander leaves until juice forms and dab that juice directly on the mole. Let it dry, the wash it off. Repeat once a day for a couple of weeks. Mix equal parts roasted pomegranate and lime juice until a paste forms. Apply this paste to the mole at night, cover the mole with a bandage, then wash the paste off in the morning. Repeat this for as long as a week.
Repeat this technique for about a week, or until the mole fades or disappears.
No scientific evidence supports the notion, but it is commonly held that the milky liquid inside the dandelion root can help fade flat facial moles from sight.
While there is no scientific explanation for it, flaxseed is a popular folk remedy for many different types of skin blemishes.
Wash the mole for 15 to 20 minutes using warm water so that the skin becomes soft. Soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar. Apply the vinegar to the mole for 10 to 15 minutes. Wash the apple cider vinegar off with clean water and dry the area. Repeat these steps four times a day for a week or so. Typically, the mole will turn black and become a scab. That scab will fall off, leaving the skin beneath it mole-free. [7] X Research source
Apply a bit of iodine directly to the mole at night and cover the area with a bandage. Rinse it off in the morning. Repeat this treatment for two to three days. The mole should begin disappearing in this time period.
Do this every night for a week.
Repeat this once a day for several weeks. Theoretically, the mole should disappear in this time period.
If a mole is small and mainly exists above the surface of the skin, a doctor will likely perform a surgical shave. He or she will numb the skin and use sterile scalpel to cut around and beneath the mole. No stitches will be required, but the healing process can leave a flat scar that will vary in color from the rest of your skin. This scar may or may not be as visible as the original mole. [9] X Trustworthy Source Go Ask Alice Medical advice site with content written by health promotion specialists affiliated with Columbia University Go to source If the mole is flat or otherwise has cells that go deeper into the skin, the doctor will perform a surgical excision. During this procedure, the mole and a margin of unaffected skin will be removed with a scalpel or sharp punch device. You will need stitches to close this wound, and the procedure often leaves a scar in the form of a thin, light line. Since the procedure does scar, however, it is often not preferred for moles on the face.
Usually, this procedure leaves a small blister behind in place of the mole. This blister will heal on its own in a matter of days to weeks. Once the blister heals, you may or may not be left with a light scar. Even if this should happen, though, the scar is typically much lighter and more difficult to spot than the original mole, so it might still be worth considering if you have a mole on your face.
During laser surgery, the doctor will use a small, specialized laser to target the mole. As the laser heats the mole tissue, it breaks it down, causing the cells to die off. A small blister may result from the procedure, but this blister will heal on its own and may or may not leave a scar in its place. Note that laser removal is not usually used for deep facial moles since the laser does not usually go deep enough into the skin. During electrosurgery, the doctor will shave the top portion of the mole with a scalpel and use an electric needle to destroy the tissue beneath it. An electric current passes through the wire of the needle, heating it and causing the upper layers of skin to burn off. You might need multiple treatments, but this option leaves behind very little scarring, making it a good option to consider for moles on the face.
Always follow the instructions on the label to avoid damaging healthy skin surrounding the mole. As a general rule, you should apply the acid directly to the mole and avoid letting it come into contact with unaffected skin. One acid commonly used to treat moles is salicylic acid. Acid treatments can come in the form of lotions, liquids, sticks, cleansing pads, and creams. Sometimes an acid treatment will get rid of a mole completely, but some weaker treatments may only fade the mole.
This treatment is gentle and leaves virtually no scar behind, so it works well as an option for moles on the face. The usefulness of this treatment is still up for debate in some medical circles, so your dermatologist may or may not recommend it. If your doctor does not mention it as an option, though, you should bring it up and ask for his or her professional advice and opinion on it.
