If you have a mole or birthmark that you want gone, there are plenty of mole removal processes that you can investigate and take advantage of to be rid of the unsightly mark forever! Excision, cryotherapy and laser treatment are just three options but all of them will require certain after mole removal care. If you follow the instructions provided by your doctor after your surgery, you’ll suffer no repercussions and your mole will be gone for good leaving only smooth skin where the mole once was. Among the most important things to do when recuperating from any treatment whether laser or surgery is to keep your wound out of direct sunlight.
Sunlight
Sunlight can affect the scarring of the area that has undergone treatment in the case of mole removal. If you don’t want to suffer noticeable scarring or the possibility that your moles come back, stay out of the sun for at least one to two weeks after your procedure, (or longer if recommended by a dermatologist or surgeon. Since direct sun exposure is linked closely to the development of melanoma, it’s important to wear sunscreen on the area even after it has healed. This is even more important if the surgery you underwent was to remove a malignant mole in the first place. Direct sunlight can “jump-start” dying cancer cells so it’s imperative if you’ve been undergoing radiology and surgery for cancer to stay out of the sun as much as possible until you’re completely healed. There are stigmas that sunlight is good for the skin; in the case right after a surgery, don’t fall for this myth. Follow the doctor’s orders and you’ll recover quickly and with minimal scarring.
Preventing Scars
In addition to staying out of the sun there are some things that can help in preventing scars after mole removal. The application of aloe lotion to the affected area after the scab has fallen off can help moisturize and provide essential nutrients to the new skin. This helps prevent scars from forming. Some swear by petroleum jelly – just a tiny mm to two mm long dab on your finger massaged into the area of new skin can help protect the new skin and most people have Vaseline in the house! Massaging the area is fine so long as it isn’t stitched. If you had your mole surgically removed, scarring can occur as a result of scratching before the wound is healed.
Follow-Up Visits
Depending on the type of surgery that you’ve had, you may need to go in for follow up visits or additional treatments. In the case of laser treatments, this is especially true. Laser treatments typically last for several weeks, as are radiology treatments for cancerous cells. Surgery may be a frightening prospect but the time commitment for a less painful alternative could be significantly greater than expected. Regardless of the technique you choose to remove your mole, follow it through to the last treatment and you’ll never have a mole again!