Moles, although common, are often an annoyance to deal with. They appear in different areas on the body and can present an unaesthetic challenge to the person involved. Not to mention, depending on its location, they can be easily injured when shaving or rubbing against clothes. For this and other reasons, some patients look at mole removal in Singapore as the ultimate game-changer for their skin lesions.
What are your options and do you need any special preparation to get things going? Stick around and you will find out everything you should know about the mole removal treatments prior to having one.
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What are Moles and are they a Problem?
These are brown or black growths on the skin surface, which are typically benign. They occur when your melanocytes – the cells that produce pigment and make your skin a certain colour – group in clusters in lieu of spreading all around.
Every person has at least a few moles on their bodies. It is considered that the average adult forms around 10-40 moles until the age of 25. Some of these formations undergo a slow change throughout one’s lifetime, whereas others remain the same. Some may even disappear.
Moles are seldom a medical concern and because of that they need to be treated by a certified aesthetician who knows what they are doing.
They require medical attention when they become asymmetrical or larger than 6-7 mm. Changes in colour and a scalloped border might also be a sign that something is off. However, if neither of these problems is present, then you don’t have to do anything about those clusters of pigmentation unless you are bothered by their appearance. The decision to have a mole removed is entirely personal and should be made with utmost care.
Types of Moles
There are three main types to discuss:
- Congenital. These moles are present at birth and it’s normal to have them.
- Acquired. These form on the skin during adolescence or adulthood. Some specialists claim that having more than 50 moles altogether ups the risk of cancer.
- Dysplastic nevus. These are large moles with an atypical look that may be bigger than an eraser. They often have more than one colour and their shape is quite odd. The good news is that they present no risk to patients. Remember they are nothing like melanoma.
It is vital to differentiate between moles and skin tags (small balloons on stalks).
Sometimes moles appear in unusual places such as between the toes or fingers, under the nails, on the palms and on the scalp. According to doctors from medical aesthetic clinics, it is important that patients are aware of every skin formation and its location so they can check in on it and spot any difference in appearance on time, if such exists. When they have clearly-defined borders and are relatively symmetrical, moles are harmless. It doesn’t really matter if they are raised or flat.
How can I Remove Moles in Singapore?
There are different mole removal treatment options, surgical and non-surgical alike, that modern medicine utilises these days. One of the approaches involves shaving and others stick with application of topical pastes on the targeted region. Cold therapy is also used. Apart from that, laser mole removal is growing in popularity and has its avid supporters.
And finally, some patients go for tattooing. This in itself does not get rid of moles. Its purpose is to mask the dark spot so it is not that obvious. The problem with this treatment is that it can make monitoring more difficult. If you are unable to see the mole, you might miss detecting any changes as time passes by.
Now, let’s review the most common treatments.
Cryotherapy for Mole Removal in Singapore
This is a non-surgical method of eliminating moles that work by applying cold to the tissue. Although the procedure is mostly suitable for skin tags, it can be used on flat moles. Cold therapy usually involves only the targeted region leaving the rest of the skin intact. This enables specialists to treat different problems in a safe and effective manner without harming the adjacent regions.
There are two main ways to perform cryotherapy. The first one is cryolipolysis and it consists of freezing fat cells with the purpose of damaging them. For the most part, it’s done for body contouring and stubborn belly or buccal fat removal as well.
The other one – cryosurgery – which is applied in mole removal, entails the use of liquid nitrogen on abnormal skin tissue. In plain words, they freeze the spot and after a while, the mole drops off on its own.
You will probably receive specific instructions before you have the procedure. In most cases, you don’t have to do anything special other than perhaps fast for 16 hours pre-therapy. If anaesthesia is used, you will be advised to arrange for a ride home for after the appointment is over.
Cryotherapy has several benefits that are yet to be reaffirmed by science. They extend beyond the removal of moles. According to some experts, the treatment has the potential to boost physical and mental health as a whole, and these seem to be the two most researched domains so far. It is claimed that cold temperatures help the muscles recover faster after exercise. There is also a potent anti-ageing effect, as well as reduced nerve irritation, diminished migraine symptoms, etc.
That being said, the procedure might lead to a few side effects, numbness and tingling being the most common.
It is important to remember that this mole removal treatment has to be performed by a medical professional. Pick someone who has relevant skills and knowledge.
Laser Mole Removal Singapore
With this procedure, concentrated beams of laser are directed at the mole in question to break down and absorb the melanin (pigment). The skin might be prepped with a local anaesthetic to reduce the discomfort and pain. Since the area that needs to be treated is small, doctors rarely register any complaints from patients when it comes to pain. That being said, every person has a different threshold and are therefore going to have varying experiences with this treatment.
Here is how you go about it. The first thing that you have to do is find a certified dermatologist or surgeon with extensive experience in skin treatments and laser mole removal in particular. Be cautious about people without a medical degree who offer to perform this intervention for less money. You need to understand that mole removal is a serious thing that has to be executed by a professional or under the supervision of one such person. Do not put your skin issues in the hands of non-medical personnel.
Once you settle with a doctor, schedule a consultation to get started. They will want to go over your medical history to ensure that your current health status could tolerate a procedure like this. If necessary, they will take photos of the problem areas, combined with a discussion over why you want this and what benefits and risks are at play.
Specific instructions might be vocalised to get you ready for the treatment. You want to:
- Avoid blood-thinning medications prior to the appointment
- Stay away from the sun and avoid tanning
- Use sunscreen whenever you have to be out and about
The benefits of using this technology to treat moles are plentiful. First of all, lasers are non-invasive which means the skin is not cut. This not only makes recovery faster but also eliminates the risk of infection.
No side effects have been noted but there seems to be a risk of the mole re-growing after some time.
Surgical Excision for Mole Removal in Singapore
This is a simple treatment that was meant to remove growths from the skin such as lesions, tumours, and moles. There are two methods. One goes by the name of shave excision. As the name implies, it consists of shaving the top of the mole to reduce its appearance or make it disappear altogether.
It starts by preparing the treatment area. The nurse injects numbing medicine into the skin below the growth to desensitise it so the patient is comfortable during the entire procedure. Other than preventing pain, the local anaesthetic has another purpose – to cause the mole to rise slightly upward which will enhance removing it.
A few horizontal cuts into the skin with a sharp razor will enable the surgeon to pick up and extract the mole. Sometimes electrosurgical feathering is employed as an additional step to shape the wound’s edges. It ultimately helps to get rid of all excess tissue and blend the surrounding skin into the wound to minimise scarring.
The use of topical antibiotics is encouraged as this will prevent infections and guarantee speedy healing. The wound is then to be bandaged up. No stitching is necessary.
Full-thickness skin excision is far more invasive than shave excision not only for mole removal but in general. It goes down to the subcutaneous layer and can affect the adjacent areas as well. Not only that but it requires the application of stitches to close the wound. The surgeon makes a cut into the skin in the shape of an ellipse. The reason they reach down the fatty tissue is because this ensures that the skin formation will not have the chance to regrow.
Small sections of normal tissue around the mole are often removed as well. Talk about a margin of 3-4 mm. This method tends to leave small scarring behind. When a greater section is treated, a skin graft might be necessary to fill in the missing gap of tissue.
Shave excision is more beneficial than full-thickness excision because it doesn’t use sutures and tends to leave smaller wounds.
Unlike laser mole removal, surgical excision involves cutting the skin and can lead to infections if not done correctly. Other possible side effects worth mentioning are swelling, bleeding, and tenderness in the treated area.
Just like the other mole removal options, you want to secure a successful treatment by finding an authorised medical centre.
Cost of Removal of Moles Singapore
The price of mole removal in Singapore varies depending on the technique you want to use. It is also influenced by the size, number, and type of moles you are dealing with.
- Mole removal by laser: $150-$1,300 per mole
- Mole removal through surgical excision: $120 per mole (onwards)
- Mole removal by cryotherapy: $80 per mole (onwards)
Keep in mind that every medical aesthetic clinic works out a price list at its own discretion based on a plethora of factors. Also, note that facial mole removal treatment tends to be more expensive than getting rid of body moles. Plus, consultation and doctor fees apply too.
All in all, there are several options for mole removal in Singapore that you could give a go at. But before you do, just make sure to schedule a discussion with a physician to learn all important details.