Moles are removed for many reasons. Some are raised and catch on clothing or razors. Some are in highly visible areas and are simply unwanted. Others have changed in appearance or developed symptoms and should be medically assessed.
Features such as asymmetry, irregular borders, changes in colour, increasing size, evolution over time, unexplained bleeding, crusting, itching or pain are reasons to have a mole assessed as soon as possible. These features do not necessarily mean that a mole is cancerous, but they may affect how it should be managed. Where appropriate, a removed mole may be sent to a pathology laboratory so the tissue can be examined under a microscope.
For most patients considering removal, the questions are fairly practical: Can the mole be removed? What will the procedure involve? Will there be a scar? How much will it cost? And who should perform it?
Mole removal is considered a minor procedure, but the right approach depends on the individual mole — including its size, depth, location, appearance and the reason for removal.
At our Newmarket clinic, mole removal is performed by Dr. Victoria Hayward, Chief of Plastic Surgery at Southlake Regional Health Centre and a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience in minor procedures and scar management. Mole removal is one of several minor procedures offered at our clinic. PSSC also sees patients from surrounding communities and the broader region.
Why people choose to have a mole removed
Many mole removals are cosmetic. A patient may simply dislike the appearance of a mole, particularly when it is on the face, nose, scalp or another visible area.
Other moles become bothersome for practical reasons. Raised or protruding moles can catch on clothing, jewelry or razors. Moles in areas exposed to frequent friction may become repeatedly irritated or uncomfortable.
Some patients come to the clinic with a single mole they would like removed. Others have several.
Unless there is a medical reason not to, multiple moles can often be removed during the same appointment.
There is an important distinction when a mole is changing. A mole that is growing, changing colour or shape, bleeding without an obvious cause, becoming painful, crusting or otherwise behaving differently should be medically assessed as soon as possible.
The reason someone wants a mole removed therefore matters. A straightforward cosmetic concern and a mole that has recently changed may ultimately require different assessment and management.
What actually happens when a mole is removed
The first step is assessment.
Dr. Hayward examines the mole and considers its size, depth, exact location and appearance. She will also consider whether there are features that warrant further medical assessment or pathology testing.
Once the appropriate approach has been determined, the recommended treatment and pricing are discussed with the patient. No procedure is performed until the proposed plan and cost have been explained and the patient has agreed to proceed.
The treatment area is then numbed using local anesthetic. Patients may feel a brief sting from the freezing needle, but the procedure itself should be comfortable.
Some moles require surgical excision. In these cases, an incision is made to remove the mole and the skin is carefully closed with sutures.
The exact technique varies depending on the individual mole and where it is located. A relatively small and straightforward mole may present very different considerations from a larger or deeper mole in a highly visible location.
That is why the objective is not simply to "get the mole off." The way the mole is assessed, removed and, when necessary, closed all contribute to how the area heals afterward.
Dr. Hayward has extensive training and experience performing minor procedures and has performed thousands of them over the course of her practice.
For many patients, the scar is the real concern
Any procedure that removes a mole from the skin can leave some degree of scarring. There is no responsible way to promise scarless mole removal.
How noticeable the scar becomes depends on a number of factors, including the mole's size and depth, where it is located, the technique used to remove it, how the incision is closed when sutures are required, and how the individual patient's skin heals.
Dr. Hayward has years of extensive training and experience in scar management and uses precise plastic-surgery techniques designed to minimize scarring where possible. Where surgical excision is required, attention is paid not only to removing the mole but also to incision placement and careful closure.
These considerations are particularly important when a mole is located on the face, nose or another cosmetically sensitive area.
Scar management also extends beyond the procedure itself.
Our Advanced Medical Aesthetician is available before and after your procedure to discuss scar-minimization and scar-management strategies. This can include guidance on what to expect as the area heals, when scar care should begin, and topical products specifically intended to support healing and help improve the appearance of the scar over time.
It is normal for a new scar to look more noticeable at first. Scars often appear pink, red, raised or firm during the early healing period, then gradually soften, flatten and fade over the following weeks and months.
Mole removal on the face, nose and other visible areas
For patients considering removal of a mole on the face, nose, scalp or another visible area, the cosmetic result is often just as important as removing the mole itself.
These areas deserve particular consideration because the location and orientation of an incision, the way the skin is closed, and the natural lines and contours of the surrounding skin can all influence how the area heals and how noticeable the final scar becomes.
The characteristics of the mole itself also matter. Its size, depth and exact position help determine the most appropriate approach. A small mole in one facial location may require a different approach from a larger or deeper mole somewhere else.
Dr. Hayward will assess the mole before treatment and discuss the recommended removal method, the expected closure where applicable, and what can reasonably be expected during healing.
No technique can guarantee an invisible scar. The objective is to remove the mole appropriately while using careful plastic-surgery technique and an appropriate scar-management plan.
Removing more than one mole
It is common for patients to come to the clinic with several moles they would like assessed or removed.
Unless there is a medical reason not to, multiple moles are routinely removed during the same appointment.
How many can reasonably be treated at once depends on factors such as their size, depth and location and the amount of surgical work involved.
Removing several small, straightforward moles may be quite different from removing multiple larger or deeper moles that require individual surgical excisions and sutures.
If one of the moles is changing or has concerning features, it may also need to be assessed or managed differently from the others.
Patients also frequently want to know how pricing works when several moles are being removed. Multiple moles are priced together rather than simply charging the full individual rate for each mole.
The complete treatment plan and pricing are discussed during the consultation before anything is performed.
How much does mole removal cost?
Mole removal at our clinic starts at $450.
The final cost depends on the mole being removed.
Factors that can affect pricing include its size, depth and location, the removal technique required, and whether one or multiple moles are being treated.
A procedure involving a larger or deeper mole may differ from a relatively straightforward removal, just as a mole in a cosmetically sensitive location may present different considerations from one elsewhere on the body.
The consultation allows Dr. Hayward to assess the mole, determine the recommended approach and provide the applicable pricing.
No procedure will be performed until the recommended treatment plan and pricing have been discussed with you and you have agreed to proceed.
What if the mole is changing or looks unusual?
Not every patient who comes to the clinic about a mole is doing so solely for cosmetic reasons.
A new mole, a changing mole, or one that looks noticeably different from other moles should be medically assessed.
The ABCDE warning signs are a useful guide:
- A — Asymmetry: one half looks different from the other.
- B — Border: the edges are irregular, uneven or poorly defined.
- C — Colour: the mole contains different colours or develops a change in colour.
- D — Diameter: the mole is larger than approximately 6 mm, although concerning moles can also be smaller.
- E — Evolution: the mole is changing in size, shape, colour, elevation or symptoms over time.
New bleeding without an obvious cause, crusting, itching or pain are also reasons to have a mole medically assessed as soon as possible.
None of these features automatically means that a mole is cancerous. They do mean that the mole deserves assessment rather than simply being assumed to be harmless.
Where appropriate, a removed mole may be sent for pathology testing. This means the tissue is sent to a laboratory and examined under a microscope by a pathologist to help determine exactly what the growth is and whether abnormal or concerning cells are present.
Dr. Hayward will assess the mole and discuss whether pathology testing is appropriate as part of the treatment plan.
What happens after mole removal?
Before leaving the clinic, patients receive instructions explaining how to care for the treated area during the initial healing period.
Written aftercare instructions are also sent by email so that patients can easily refer back to them at home.
If sutures have been used, Dr. Hayward will explain whether they will dissolve on their own or whether they need to be removed, and when that should occur.
Aftercare may also include guidance about dressings, showering, physical activity, signs of infection or delayed healing to watch for, and when normal activities can be resumed.
Scar management is considered part of the overall healing process rather than something that begins only if a scar later becomes noticeable.
Our Advanced Medical Aesthetician is available before and after the procedure to discuss scar-minimization and scar-management strategies, including topical products that may be helpful as the area heals.
Can assessment and removal happen at the same appointment?
In many cases, yes.
Dr. Hayward can assess the mole during the consultation and, when it is medically appropriate to proceed, remove it during the same appointment.
We appreciate that most patients prefer to avoid an unnecessary second visit, and the clinic aims to accommodate same-appointment assessment and treatment whenever possible.
A mole will still be assessed before anything is performed, and the recommended treatment plan and pricing will be discussed first.
Who performs your mole removal?
At our clinic, mole removal is performed by Dr. Victoria Hayward, Chief of Plastic Surgery at Southlake Regional Health Centre and a board-certified plastic surgeon.
Dr. Hayward has extensive training and experience in minor procedures and scar management and has performed thousands of minor procedures over the course of her practice.
That experience matters because even relatively small procedures involve decisions about how a mole should be approached, where an incision should be placed when one is required, how the skin should be closed, and how the resulting scar should be managed.
For a patient who is having a mole removed because they do not like how it looks, those details can be particularly important.