Medical Minute: Hybrid Laser Mole Treatment


Facial Moles. Who loves their facial moles? Not everyone. Today we’re going to talk about a great way to treat moles with the hybrid laser mole treatment. Facial moles are a common condition found in many people. They can be present at birth or they can develop over the course of a lifetime. Though they are frequently referred to as beauty marks, in many cases they are anything but beautiful. A healthy facial complexion that is clear, bright and glowing sends a message of health and vitality, but pigment spots, bumps, or moles can make us look old, less healthy and less vibrant.

Moles exist both above and below the skin’s surface. The part of the mole that we see is often just the tip of the iceberg. Since some moles extend deep beyond the top skin layer, the only way to fully remove them is through surgical excision. This is especially necessary when the mole has irregular cells or is cancerous.

Fortunately, most moles are not dangerous, but they can be a cosmetic concern. Because surgical excision leaves a scar that is often 3 times as long as the lesion itself, many people chose not to undergo surgical excision and instead continue to live with their irregular facial feature, but there is another option. If the lesion isn’t dangerous, it’s possible to shave. Because this often results in a divot in the face or an incompletely shaved lesion, I’ve developed the Hybrid Laser Mole Treatment.

The Hybrid Laser Mole Treatment involves first taking a small sample of the mole and sending to the pathologist to make sure that it isn’t dangerous. Once that’s been confirmed, I use an Erbium laser and a fine 2 mm spot size to plane the mole down, cell layer by cell layer, until its completely flat and even with the surrounding skin. The skin will then grow over the spot and the result is a flat facial region where the mole once appeared. It should be noted that this procedure does leave the deeper portion of the mole behind, but since they generally grow very slowly the results are likely to last for a very long time.

If you have a facial mole that you would like reduced, this procedure might be the right answer for you.