If you have a mole on your lip, you may be wondering if you should have it removed. Most moles are harmless, according to the Mayo Clinic, and do not need to be removed for medical reasons. Moles are simply clusters of highly pigmented skin cells called melanocytes. While moles can be a sign of melanoma or skin cancer, most are not. Most are benign, meaning non-cancerous, and completely harmless. If they aren’t bothering you, you can simply leave them alone.
People often prefer to have a facial mole or lip mole removed, however, for cosmetic reasons. If you don’t like the way a mole looks, you can opt to have it removed. Don’t think it’s vain or silly to want to remove a mole because of how it looks. A mole, especially one in a conspicuous place like a mole on the lip, can sometimes cause a person to feel very self-conscious. It can even interfere with their ability to function in social settings. Of course, not everyone experiences significant distress due to a mole. But if you have a mole that causes you concern or makes you unhappy, it’s a valid choice to have it removed.
When a Mole on Lip Needs to Be Removed
While moles often do not need to be removed, in some cases, removing them is recommended. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends removing moles under the following circumstances:
- If a mole on your lip is irritating you like if it gets in the way of chewing, or if you sometimes accidentally bite the mole due to its location, it should be removed.
- If the mole is painful or itchy or otherwise causes discomfort, it should probably be removed. Note that itching or pain is not common in moles and it could be a sign of something more serious than a common mole, so you should see a doctor have an itchy or painful mole evaluated. You can learn more about an itchy mole here.
- If the mole shows signs of being cancerous, it should be biopsied. The Skin Cancer Foundation notes that, while most moles are not cancerous, cancer of the lip is often overlooked but it is not an uncommon site for cancer to occur. For that reason, you should have a doctor examine any suspicious or questionable-looking mole. A biopsy involves removing a small sample of the tissue for testing. In many cases, it is just as easy to go ahead and remove the entire mole while performing a biopsy. That way a second surgery is not needed if the testing shows the mole is in fact cancerous.
- If you are unhappy with the way a mole looks or if it is causing you to feel anxious or distressed about your appearance.
Removing a Lip Mole
To have a mole removed by a doctor, you will probably need to make an appointment with a dermatologist, a doctor that specializes in treating disorders of the skin. Your general practitioner or internist can examine a mole and let you know if it’s just a common mole or if it might be more serious, but he or she probably won’t be able to remove the mole for you.
Mole removal is typically done as an outpatient procedure and doctors can usually do it in their offices. First, the area around the mole is numbed with injections of local anesthetic, similar to what dentists use before filling cavities.
Dermatologists remove moles in one of two ways, depending on the size, shape, and location of the mole as well as other factors.
Surgical shaving – To surgically shave off a mole, a dermatologist simply shaves the mole off the skin. This procedure works better for moles that stick out from the skin. Often no suturing is required.
Surgical excision – To remove a mole by surgical excision, a dermatologist cuts the mole out of the skin, and then sutures closed the resulting wound. This procedure is often necessary when moles are flat and even with the surrounding skin because it’s not possible to shave them off then.
Both procedures can be painful and may leave a scar.
Our Preferred Method for Removing a Mole on Lip
Our preferred method for removing moles on lips is a topical treatment called H-Moles Formula. You just apply it to the mole daily for a few weeks and it removes the mole gently, painlessly, and without leaving a scar. You don’t need a prescription for it, either. To learn more about H-Moles Formula, just follow the links.
