Having a mole removed is straightforward.

MR NICHOLAS Parkhouse (pictured), consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon from the McIndoe Surgical Centre, says the reasons for seeking the procedure are generally due to self-consciousness.

"Patients may have been teased about a mole in their childhood or a mole may develop in later life, or it may get larger as the years go by and people become increasingly self-conscious about them. It's amazing how much self confidence can be improved by the removal of a mole," he says.

There are a variety of skin lesions or blemishes that are commonly known as moles, including coloured and pigmented moles as well as non-pigmented lesions.

As well as those on the surface of the skin, a significant number will be within the thickness of the skin, it's that position which will determine the choice of removal techniques.

Lasers or surgical shaving can be used, but these methods are only likely to be effective on superficial moles that are on the surface of the skin and do not go very deep.

Parkhouse says: "In many cases - such as an intradermal naevus which often extends deeply into the skin - surgery is the most effective method of removing a mole as it allows the surgeon to be sure to remove it entirely and reduce the possibility of it regrowing."

"Having a facial intradermal naevus removed is one of the most straightforward cosmetic procedures you can have and can bring an almost instant improvement," he adds.

"But there is an important proviso - it must be done expertly to ensure any scarring is minimal."

CAPTION(S):

SAFE... checking for moles