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Original poster

mole removal

24 replies

marthamydear · 20/12/2008 16:40

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone has had a mole removed from their face?

If so, can I ask which clinic you used and roughly how much it cost?

I have three moles on my left cheek and they look unsightly (wart like)
I've decided I'd like to have them removed in the New Year and any recommendations would be great.

I'm in London.

Also, as they are benign, the NHS wont remove them, that's why I am looking for advice on a private clinic. As they are on my face, I'd like minimal scarring.

Thanks in advance if anyone is able to help!

OP posts:
waltzywotzy · 20/12/2008 16:46

I saw a consultant who said it would leave a small scar and my little mole was better than a scar.

I had a thread about this and many people have had it done.
So I am still with my mole. It will be with me forever now.

beanieb · 20/12/2008 16:47

Is it true they won't remove them on the NHS! ?

I have matching raised moles under my armpits and after years of me wanting to keep them as they are 'me' I really do want them removed. A few years ago I went to my doctor and he said he could do them as a day surgery thing but I declined. Am worried now that if I go back they will refuse.

Will watch this thread with interest.

waltzywotzy · 20/12/2008 16:51

NHS rules vary depending on where you live, but generally they won't remove non-cancerous moles any more.

Some private consultants are reluctant to do it.

NoTengoLunaresFeos · 20/12/2008 16:54

I had this done on the NHS.

There is a 2% chance they will grow back as they weren't 'excised' (sp) they were shaved.

I had some scary plasters on my face for a whole week which felt like a long long time. When they first came off, they looked good and I thought wow these are going to heal wonderfully. Then they got a little bit worse.

I massage them when I remember with vaseline (had 3 done as well).

The doctor told me that they would continue to improve slowly for about 18 months and then the scar would be settled.

Even now after 5 months, although it's not quite as good as I'd hoped for, it's definitely better than having moles on my face. I have a few blemishes.

I'd hoped that they would heal 100% invisible like Sarah Jessica Parker's chin when she had her mole remove. Two of mine were the same size as that one on her chin and one was bigger.

Five months on though, I'm glad I did it, I was on the waiting list for about 7 months. NOT a terribly long time. I also know that the tiny red blemishes are less ageing than 3 horrible moles (imo) and that the scars although not invisible will continue to improve for a little bit longer.

SO, all in all, very glad I had it done.

NoTengoLunaresFeos · 20/12/2008 16:57

PS, I also had to insist to gp that I was quite sure that I would prefer a small scar to a mole. And that yes I was aware that there was a 2% chance they'd grow back, but yes, it's my face, and I'm not going to grow to love my moles, but I believe I can live with small scars..........

I was politely assertive. They would have prefered to send be back home again with no referral and a face covered in moles.

beanieb · 20/12/2008 17:01

how do they do it? mine can be wiggled about and I always assumed they just burn them off if they are not face ones?

christmasiana · 20/12/2008 17:25

i was going to have a horrid mole removed, was recommended by a very eminent dermatologist a plastic surgeon in London called David Ross (not the carphone guy!)

if he's still practising perhaps you can check him out and see if youcan get a referral

NoTengoLunaresFeos · 20/12/2008 17:25

Yes, I was surprised that they were just going to 'shave' it. Slice it off with a scalpal under local anaesthetic.

I thought that it would be lasered off, or frozen off with dry ice.

Maybe that is available but is more expensive?

NoTengoLunaresFeos · 20/12/2008 17:26

'was going to' did you change your mind chirstmasiana?

Comma · 20/12/2008 17:32

I had a bobbly one on my shoulder/collarbone cut out.
Cant see a thing.

christmasiana · 20/12/2008 17:34

well, i resigned from my job shortly after finding out about mr ross and my wonderful private health insurance lapsed and i moved abroad... so it didn't happen.... moved to kenya where i didn't trust the doctors! and now i'm back and not working and too poor! mole is on chin edge and is a tricky one to remove apparently so only want the best man/ woman to get it out...

LiffeySaysNollaigShona · 20/12/2008 17:41

Dr Ruskin at the royal free removed a big mole on my hip years ago. It was on the nhs. There's hardly any scar at all so he must have been good.

Original poster
marthamydear · 21/12/2008 13:51

Thank you all for your replies.

I have tried three times with my Doctor to have them removed by NHS, but he has said no. Must be the borough I'm in.

Thanks Christmasiana, I will see if David Ross can help.

Thanks to NoTengoLunaresFeos - I'm pleased it was a success. I'll definitely get them removed in the New Year.

OP posts:
Rafaella · 21/12/2008 16:12

I had a large mole cut from my face - privately, no way NHS would have done it, by a surgeon recommended by my doctor - cost about £500 about 6 years ago. There is a slight scar but it's flat so easy to cover if I feel like it. I am so happy I had it removed - everyone told me I didn't need to, it was a beauty spot, part of me, total waste of money etc - but to me it just looked like a big red spot. I don't think I'm vain and happy to live with wrinkles, bags etc but I've never regretted having it removed for a moment.

honestfriend · 21/12/2008 17:44

you could try "skin" - in Harley Street, which seems to have plenty of dermos working there.

Sorry- haven't got the full website but it's on google.

DonutMum · 27/12/2008 16:20

Hiya Martha. I had one removed from my face in July, it was excised, had one stitch and has left a tiny tiny scar - much happier with that than the mole. Also had cryotherapy for a large sun spot that developed during my pregnancies - now that bloody hurt.

Had a dermotologist at the local private hospital do it - took ten minutes in total. Cost was £200. I was over the moon as I was going to go to harley street - actually was there with my son about a mole on his head and although the doc refused to do him, too young, he took one look at me, said don't waste your money in harley street, I'll do it now. Wish I'd known it was so easy, would have done it years ago. I'm in Colchester.

Vulgar · 27/12/2008 17:14

Donut mum - could you tell me more about the cryotherapy? I have a sun spot on my cheek that also appeared when I was pregnant.

I was thinking of Harley street too . .

DonutMum · 28/12/2008 07:12

Hi Vulgar, it's basically using liquid nitrogen to freeze round the outside of the sun spot. Mine was quite big - about 1.5cm diameter. It's basically takes off the top layers of skin, crusts overs, weeps a lot - you put savlon on it three times a day for a couple of weeks, keeping it moist (sounds nice!). Then, the green "scab" (which is really all soft and mushy), comes away and you just have a pink patch which you can hide with make up and fades after a few months - mine has pretty much gone now. Although the procedure doesn't hurt cos of the local anaesthetic, it does really hurt for a few days afterwards - take strong painkillers. I couldn't as I was 38 weeks pg at the time, but paracetamol (sp?) did the trick okay. Best thing to do is find your local private hospital and ask for an appointment with a dermotologist. Don't go for the "cosmetic" harley street companies cos they'll charge the earth. HTH and good luck.

honestfriend · 28/12/2008 11:56

I have just-literally- had a tiny lump- almost wart-like (yuck) removed from under my lower lip. Was done privately by cosmetic surgeon- cost around £300.

Took about 3 minutes and i had 3 tiny stitches.

My GP would have done it I am sure, as he does minor ops, but I didn't want a non-expert anywhere near my face!

honestfriend · 28/12/2008 11:56

p.s- not Harley Street, but local private hospital. Check out H Street though- a friend of mine had a similar thing done and didn't pay any more.

honestfriend · 28/12/2008 11:59

I should have read all the posts first- can I suggest that unless the mole looks suspect, you skip the dermatologist and go for a plastic /cosmetic surgeon instead? They would also do biopsy etc if needed.
Dermos are brilliant for skin conditions ( both my DCs see one privately) but if anyone was to come near my face with a scalpel, I'd want a plastic surgeon.

hellywobs · 28/12/2008 15:12

I had two moles removed from my face on the NHS in 1994. Try saying people keep saying they think they are getting bigger....do they honestly biopsy them before they'll remove them now? I would have thought that cost nearly as much as removing them. Try a different GP.

honestfriend · 28/12/2008 15:57

They biopsy them after removal, if need be.

Vulgar · 30/12/2008 11:12

Thanks for all the info DonutMum

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