What are the different techniques used in mole removal?
• Excision – a leaf shaped incision is made around the mole using a small tip scalpel. The wound is then closed using a fine suture. This technique is used for flat, pigmented moles and lesions and leaves a fine linear scar. • Shave Excision – suitable for raised or fleshy lesions, especially on the face. The lesion is removed by running a blade flat across the base of the lesion and leaves a round and flat scar. • Cautery – this is a similar technique to shave excision but uses a fine electrical cutting tip instead of a scalpel. It is commonly used to remove skin tags. • Curretage – is a scraping technique and is appropriate for skin lesions which are superficial and look “stuck on” (eg. seborrhoeic warts). Scarring is minimal and is usually flat and slightly paler than the surrounding skin. • Cryotherapy – uses liquid nitrogen spray to create a ball of ice in the tissue, which freezes and destroys the skin lesion. It is suitable for most warts and normally takes 2-3 treatments to rem
