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Naevi, commonly known as moles, are benign skin growths that may be removed for health or aesthetic reasons. Several techniques are available, including radiosurgery and shave excision.
Naevi, more commonly known as moles, are referred to as pigmented and non-pigmented benign growths of the skin containing nevus cells and are very prevalent among the majority of adults. They come in different shapes: smooth, flat, elevated, pedunculated, hair-bearing, or non-hair-bearing. It is a common procedure performed by dermatologists to remove naevi for health or aesthetic purposes.
To begin with, each lesion needs to be identified as suspicious or malignant based on the ABCDE scale. It is an acronym that stands for:
After a skin assessment has been performed and any changes with respect to the ABCDE rules have been detected, lesions that are perceived as evolving and therefore suspicious would require a diagnostic biopsy.
Mole removal for aesthetic purposes can be performed in several ways.
One of the most promising techniques is radiofrequency surgery, also known as radiosurgery.
The method of radiosurgery is based on the physical phenomenon of dissecting the soft tissue of the skin using the energy of radio waves, which are delivered to the tissue via a special electrode.
Prior to removal, all lesions are anaesthetized with a local anaesthetic, such as lidocaine, which makes the surgical procedure virtually painless.
The technique of lesion removal is described as "light and pressureless"; the tip of the electrode moves with barely any resistance, resulting in a melting of the nevus. It is very precise and allows even layers of skin to be removed in steps of less than 1/10 of a mm. The target tissue is removed gently in multiple steps, which are repeated until the lesion is completely removed.
After a radiosurgery procedure, it is highly recommended that medical-grade petrolatum or a special silicone-based dressing gel be applied to the lesion for approximately one week. This allows the affected skin to regain its epithelized properties, becoming smooth, pink, and dry compared to the original wound. The lesion will appear pink with a gradual colour change back to normal, which takes several weeks on average. In patients with extremely sensitive and fair skin tone, the lesion may remain pink for a couple of months. After mole removal, a patient is scheduled for an eight-week follow-up appointment for a post-surgery check-up.
Another technique available for mole removal is shave excision performed with a flexible blade.
A third option is excision of the lesion with a scalpel, which is then closed with sutures.
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