Humans are born with moles - spots on the skin that can range from flesh to dark brown in color. Moles have a wide range of appearance and some people refer to them as “beauty marks”. In the medical field, moles are often referred to as nevi. Normally, moles appear anywhere on the skin. They can increase in number as a person ages, especially when a person is often exposed to the sun.

Most moles are benign and pose no serious threats to the health of a person. But there are types of moles that indicate more serious skin conditions like melanoma. Changes in the appearance of moles are often signs of developing skin cancers. When a mole starts to act differently from the others, it would be wise to seek advice from a reputable dermatologist. Several types of treatment are available in dealing with moles. They come in the form of surgeries, treatment solutions, and herbal products.

Physicians can perform traditional surgery to remove moles. The affected tissue is taken out through a scalpel and the wound is then closed by stitching it up. Scarring is possible as an effect of the suture. Pain is often associated with this procedure. Physicians normally prescribe pain killers to help ease the pain.

There is another surgical procedure that can be resorted to: electrosurgery. In this kind of surgery, a dermatologist shaves the mole off with the use of a scalpel. Then, the tissues that lie below the surface are then destroyed with the help of an electric needle. Depending on the size of the wound, this procedure might require stitching that can later on cause scarring.

Cryosurgery is another way to get rid of unwanted moles. This procedure makes use of liquid nitrogen to destroy the affected tissue. Some undesirable effects that come with this procedure include pain and scarring.

The most popular type of surgery performed to remove moles is laser surgery. As the name suggests, this procedure uses laser technology to destroy the mole. Although laser surgery minimizes the destruction of the surrounding tissue, the procedure can still cause scarring.

Other than surgeries, treatment solutions are also available over the counter or as prescribed by doctors. Some of these solutions can contain acids that destroy the affected tissue. Oftentimes, mole treatments that contain acid take a long time to totally eliminate the mole. Acid based mole treatments are also non-selective - they destroy every tissue that it comes into contact with, thus posing the highest potential for scarring.

A safer alternative is available in the form of herbal mole treatment solutions. They are often in topical form. They are applied directly to the mole and the affected area is then covered with a small bandage or plaster strips. Some scarring is possible but herbal treatment solutions usually do not affect healthy tissue.

Before trying any mole removal procedure, it is always wise to seek the advice of your physician.

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