Have that mole checked, then removed

The pre-op assessment is £75. A benign mole shave starts at £325 and excision with closure starts at £495. Those are starting prices, and the final all-inclusive fee depends on the size, site, depth and complexity of the mole and which technique is used. It is confirmed at your assessment before anything is booked. Histology, where recommended, carries a separate laboratory fee.

Two reasons. A mole has to be examined in person before anyone removes it, and the choice between shave and excision cannot be made from a photograph. At the £75 assessment your surgeon confirms whether the mole is benign, recommends the technique that suits it, and gives you a firm price. If you decide not to go ahead, you simply pay for the consultation and leave with a clear answer.

Not as a cosmetic procedure, no. If your surgeon sees features that need investigating, we will tell you plainly and arrange the appropriate next step rather than tidying it away. Removing a concerning mole in the wrong way can destroy the tissue a pathologist needs, which is why this matters. Your safety comes ahead of a neat cosmetic result, and if surgery is not the right answer we will say so.

A shave takes the mole down flush with the surrounding skin, without cutting into the deeper layers. No stitches are needed and it heals like a graze, leaving a flat pale or pink mark. An excision removes the mole through the full thickness of the skin and closes the gap with fine sutures, leaving a thin line scar that is longer than the mole was wide. A shave is only possible for moles that stand above the skin.

Your surgeon decides that with you at the assessment, based on whether the mole is raised or flat, how deep it goes, where it sits, and what you want from the result. Sometimes both are reasonable and it comes down to whether you would rather avoid a line scar or be sure the mole is gone completely. Sometimes only one is appropriate, and we will say so rather than offer a choice that is not really there.

It can. Because a shave does not remove the deeper layer, pigment cells left behind sometimes produce colour again at the site over months or years. That is not a complication, it is a known trade-off of the technique, and it is the main reason to consider excision if you want the mole gone for good. If colour does return, mention it at your review rather than assuming it is nothing.

Every removal leaves something. A shave usually leaves a flat mark, paler or pinker than the skin around it, which most people find far less noticeable than the original mole. An excision leaves a fine line, longer than the mole itself, because the skin has to be closed neatly. Scars fade substantially over 6 to 12 months and keeping the area out of strong sun while it heals helps. For a facial mole, have this conversation properly at your pre-op.

You will feel a sting as the local anaesthetic goes in, and after that the area is completely numb. You should feel pressure and movement but no pain. Afterwards it can be tender for a day or two, and paracetamol is usually enough. You are awake throughout and can drive yourself home.

Often it is worth doing, and your surgeon will advise. Histology confirms exactly what the mole was, which is reassuring and occasionally important. It carries an additional laboratory fee, discussed and quoted at your consultation rather than sprung on you afterwards. Where there is genuine clinical doubt, the choice of technique may be influenced by getting the whole lesion to the pathologist.

After a shave, most people carry on as normal the same day and the site settles over about two weeks. After an excision, keep the wound dry as advised, avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for two weeks, and expect stitches out at 7 to 14 days depending on where the mole was. Both are reviewed by your surgeon at 4 weeks.

Often yes. Bring every mole you are concerned about to the pre-op, whether you want it removed or just checked. Your surgeon will advise what can sensibly be done in one sitting and price it all together, so you have one appointment and one healing period.

If a mole is clinically suspicious, it should be assessed on the NHS and you should see your GP promptly. Removal purely because you dislike the look of a harmless mole is generally not funded, which is why people come privately for it. If anything about your mole concerns us at the assessment, we will tell you and help you get to the right place.

Please do not. Products sold online to burn or freeze moles off scar badly, frequently fail to remove the mole properly, and destroy the tissue that would let a pathologist tell you what it was. If the mole was ever going to matter, that is exactly the information you have thrown away. A proper assessment costs £75 and gives you an actual answer.

No. You can book the pre-op assessment yourself, online or by calling 029 2199 9300. If you would rather have the mole looked at by a doctor first, a private GP appointment is another way in.

We work with Bupa, AXA Health, WPA, Vitality, Aviva, Cigna, Healix, Saga and Allianz and will help with pre-authorisation paperwork. Be aware that cosmetic removal of a mole known to be harmless is not usually something insurers cover, so most patients pay privately for this one. Contact us with your insurer details and we will advise.

Your £75 pre-op assessment can be at either clinic, Penarth or Cowbridge, whichever is easier to get to. The procedure itself is carried out at Penarth, 13 Washington Buildings, Stanwell Road, CF64 2AD, about 10 minutes from Cardiff city centre with free street parking. Our Cowbridge clinic is at Beauty Within, 10 High Street, CF71 7AG.