Most of the moles and birthmarks appear within the first 20 years of our lives and they are usually not dangerous. However those that appear later on in life present higher risk of developing into cancerous moles and therefore they should be looked at by a dermatologist. An excision of the mole is then sent for examination to determine if any of the sample collected is in any way dangerous and if there is a threat is associated with the mole (histological examination).





Manual excision using a conventional scalpel





Mole removal using a Laser

The technique used to remove moles for aesthetic reasons, is to ablate the skin lesion superficially. The ablation is generally carried out until the mole is “flattened”. In other words the mole is burned (or vaporised) superficially until it is level with the surrounding skin.
In the video below we can see an example of  mole removal using a cosmetic laser. This easy procedure is carried out by setting the device a relatively high frequency and repeating the vaporisation of the mole a number of times, until achieving the desired results. As you can see the practitioner rubs the finger on to the mole a number of times to appraise whether the mole is level with the surrounding skin. This method is used achieve the best possible aesthetic results and minimising the likelihood of scarring.

The technique we have see above is over simplified because there are several types of moles (or more in general benign skin lesions). Some moles require a deeper ablation than others. This depends on how the benign mole grows inside the skin. As we will see in Xanthelasma for instance these lesions can grow deeply inside the skin, while some other like seborrhoeic keratosis are very superficial.
However when the practitioner is not sure about the way the of the specific benign mole has grown inside the skin, the levelling method is preferred as this minimised the likelihood of scarring.



Removal with Voltaic Arc or Voltaic Plasma


This type of procedure can be performed by a healthcare professional as well as a beautician or any other appropriately trained non medical person as long as the mole is benign and removed for cosmetic or comfort reasons. There are several types of benign growths which are referred to as benign moles.  As a general rule in order to minimise the risks of scarring it is recommended that the mole removed is leveled off with the surrounding skin area. Remember that no guarantee can be made of a scar free outcome despite the method or device used to remove the benign skin lesion.

  Certain particular types of benign growths maybe rooted between the dermis and the epidermis and may require a specific technique to remove them in one session only. Having the knowledge of the type of benign lesion you are dealing with, will help you in the effective removal of the lesion is a single session. If the benign lesion is rooted between the dermis and epidermis, a slight deeper ablation (or burn) may be required to remove the lesion in one session only. If these more deeply rooted moles are levelled off with the surrounding skin area, multiple sessions maybe required to remove them effectively.

The technique generally used for benign mole removal is the spray operation.

Generally moles can be effectively and quickly removed by burning them off  using AC electric arc by starting from the top and working all the way down to level them off with the surrounding skin area. Particularly thick moles maybe better removed with the device set at maximum power level in order to remove the bulk of the mole effectively within a reasonable timeframe. Normally experienced users set the device at top power level  to coarsely remove the main bulk of the thick mole. However when you first start using the device it is advisable to apply the arc at minimum power level or generally low power settings,  in order to gain confidence with this type of procedure.


Start reducing the power level of the device to the minimum setting, when, after touching the mole you feel that bump is very thin and you are about to level off the mole with the surrounding skin area. This is because, reducing the power level will allow a higher degree of accuracy in the ablation of the mole. The lower the power level the higher the degree of precision you will be able to operate in the levelling off of the mole. The more experience you gain the more confident you will be in the removal of the mole.


So to recap

  • Make sure that the mole your client intends to have removed is a benign growth.
  • Apply numbing cream on the mole. Follow the instructions of the numbing cream supplier.
  • In case of particularly thick moles, and if you are an experienced user, start burning the top of the mole with the equipment set at top power level, to remove the bulk of the mole within a convenient timeframe. Wipe off the carbon residues after each burst to appreciate the level you have reached. Repeat the process until you have almost reached the surrounding skin level. When you are close enough reduce the power level to increase the level of precision of the ablation in order to level off the remainder of the mole with surrounding skin. Every now and then the tip of the electrode will become clogged with carbon residues, at that point
  • Apply the appropriate soothing product and antiseptic immediately after the removal.
  • Emphasising its importance, hand out the appropriate aftercare information sheet to the Client.
  • Explicitly instruct the client not expose the area to potential infections.


The latter method has been very effective, however it is still possible to remove thick moles by applying the tip of the electrode by starting to apply the arc  from the top and work all the way to the base or the benign mole.

It is important to notice the difference between the electrofulguration technique used in these videos and electrodessication (also sometimes referred to as electrolysis). When using electrodessication for tag and mole removal, these benign lesions are removed by inserting the needle into the mole and subsequently burn the mole from the “inside”, however in the case of electrofulguration, the electrode is not in contact with the mole and the ablation is caused only superficially by the use of the electrical arc.