Mole Removal

Many people are interested in mole removal. Most moles, also known as nevi, are normal, meaning that they are not harmful in any way. Each of us has a “signature” mole, meaning that if you signed your name a hundred times it would look similar each time, but if someone else signed your name once there would be a different signature. As dermatologists, we look for abnormal or atypical moles different from your signature moles to remove.

Removed moles are sent to a pathologist in order to be evaluated to make sure that they are not malignant or otherwise harmful. At Las Vegas Dermatology^®, there is a charge for the mole removal, and a separate charge by the pathologist who has visualized the mole under the microscope to determine its nature. If a mole is determined to be harmful it may require more removal, which means an additional procedure and charge. If a mole is benign, then you may not require any further treatment. Rarely, if a mole is particularly worrisome or difficult to diagnose, it may be sent for additional studies or a second opinion; sometimes, the lab will charge an additional fee for this service.

Most insurance companies will cover the cost of a biopsy if there is a suspicious mole. If you are looking for cosmetic mole removal, there will be a charge for the removal and for the pathology. At Las Vegas Dermatology^® mole examinations and mole removals are an important part of what we do. Other lesions like lentigos, freckles, seborrheic keratosis and sun spots can be removed by creams, lasers or freezing, but moles must be “cut out”. Sometimes, it is difficult to tell what a particular lesion is just by examination, in that case, the tissue is sent to pathology first and treated accordingly, once we know what type of lesion we are treating.