Moles are black or brown spots on the skin that vary in size. Moles in some places can look unattractive and take away from the charm of your face.
What is a mole?
Moles are one of the most common skin blemishes among Vietnamese people, who live in a hot, sunny tropical climate. You can easily recognize a mole by the following features:
- Color: dark black, brown or red, and the color does not change with the weather.
- Physical: you can easily feel a mole with your fingers, because it is raised above the skin surface. Moles appear as single spots in many different places on the body, not in clusters.
- In addition, moles form when the dark pigment melanin increases strongly and concentrates in one spot.
Is a mole the same as a freckle?
Many people confuse freckles and moles because their color is similar. Experts explain how to tell freckles apart, so that the right spots are removed:
- Color: brown, lighter or darker depending on how much the skin is exposed to sunlight.
- Physical: freckles can only be seen, not felt, because they lie flat on the skin surface. Freckles can appear on their own or in clusters, especially on skin that is exposed to the environment, such as the face, neck and hands.
- Note: freckles form when weak, thin skin is directly exposed to UV rays and is not properly protected, which increases dark pigmentation.
The medical standard mole removal procedure
Mole removal carries no hidden risks or harm, but to remove the mole completely and get even, smooth skin, the procedure must meet medical standards, as follows.
Step 1: Examination and identifying the area to treat
Step 2: Removing makeup and cleansing the skin in the treatment area.
Step 3: Applying numbing cream (if the mole is very large, a numbing injection is used instead, to reduce the stinging for the patient).
Step 4: Treating the mole with a CO2 laser.
Step 5: Disinfecting the treatment area after the laser.
Step 6: Applying a volcanic mud mask (when moles are removed in several places on the face)
Step 7: A relaxing massage to make the patient more comfortable.
What to keep in mind after mole removal
Mole removal is very quick, but there are a few things to keep in mind after the treatment:
- Only 1 treatment is needed. If the mole is very large, a second treatment can be done after 3 to 6 months to remove it completely.
- 2 to 5 days after the laser, the wound starts to scab. After 5 to 7 days the scab falls off and the skin heals completely, with an even skin tone after another month.
- Do not pick or peel off the scab yourself. Let it fall off naturally to avoid damaging the skin.
- Keep water away from the treated area as much as possible. Pat the wound dry with a soft, clean towel right after washing.
- For small moles there is no need for a strict diet. But for large moles or extensive laser treatment, avoid certain foods that can cause dark marks or infection with pus for about the first week.
- Use thorough sun protection to prevent increased pigmentation.
- Apply scar cream regularly as instructed to prevent bad scarring.