Mole Removal and Skin Cancer

Your Looks Are Our Concern…

Mole Removal and Skin Cancer Screening: Moles on the skin are common and most of them are harmless. It is wise to monitor any moles that you have to ensure that they don’t become cancerous. Brown moles are formed by small bunches of pigment cells that are grouped together and can appear in many different colors. Reddish or pink moles often have a higher than normal number of blood vessels in them.

Most moles are brown, black, or flesh colored & can appear on your face & other body parts.

We Offer Mole Removal Services Without Stitches or Scalpel: You can get your moles surgically removed for cosmetic reasons. Calvin Van Reken, MD has extensive experience in mole removal reno using minimal invasive surgical techniques with laser technology, curetting and radiofrequency using the Ellman Surgitron machine which typically produce minimal scarring. No stitches are used with these techniques and most often no scalpel either. Multiple techniques are employed depending on the type of mole or skin lesion. For example, raised moles with smooth borders of any color are commonly removed with Radiofrequency Mole Removal reno using the Ellman Surgitron mole removal device by Dr. Van Reken. Our videos below nicely demonstrate this “no scalpel, no stitches” technique.

A second type of mole, or raised lesion, is called a seborrheic keratosis (also called dermatosis papulosa nigra), usually comes in a group of lesions, often on the face or thorax. The actor Morgan Freeman has many of these seborrheic keratoses on his face. These are removed with a nifty technique called curetting. This is a high satisfaction procedure with a bit of downtime and then lasting cosmetic results. These are common on the face, often in darker skinned individuals.

Visit our Photo Gallery to see our before and after photos!

More troublesome moles with some suspicion of skin cancer are handled differently. Sometimes we take a small sample with a shave technique. Shave techniques are popular as when the mole is benign it often looks much better after the biopsy and without a large cut. We then use the Ellman Surgitron machine to smooth out the edges of the biopsy so it is cosmetically appealing. For darker moles sometimes we’ll do a punch biopsy. Sometimes standard cutting and suturing is done, especially for noncosmetic areas like the back.

There has been a significant increase in the incidence of melanoma in recent years due to the depletion of the ozone layer and as malignant melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. When caught early it is highly curable. When caught late it is often fatal. It is wise to get any moles or spots checked on a regular basis.

Skin cancers are especially common in the following types of patients:

• Those with prior skin cancer. • Those with a family member with skin cancer. • Light colored skin, usually with blue or green eyes. • Those with a prior organ transplant, such as a kidney transplant. • Those with obvious sun damage (freckling or pigmented sun spots on the skin). • Those with prior sun exposure such as farmers, sun worshipers & outdoor workers. • Those who grew up or currently live in areas with heavy ultraviolet rays such as deserts, mountains, sunny areas or who have spent a lot of time south of the border.

A healthy mole will generally be flat or slightly raised, and will be even in color and texture and most have a diameter of under 6 mm.

We are more likely to biopsy moles and look for cancer if one or more of the following characteristics are present:

• Asymmetrical appearance • Irregular borders to the mole • Reddish or purple color or mixed colors in the mole • Diameter in the widest area greater than 6 mm • Bleeding, scabbing or failure to heal, including ulceration • Changing of the mole: including color, growth, ulceration or getting a new halo around it • The mole looks much different than other moles on the same patient (often called an ugly duckling mole)

If you notice any changes in your moles or have one or more of the mole characteristics above be sure to see a doctor immediately as it could be skin cancer without your realizing it..

Schedule Your Skin Care Consultation Today…

To schedule a Skin Care Consultation or mole removal reno evaluation / skin cancer screening with Dr. Van Reken here at the Reno Sparks MedSpa, give us a call or visit the contact us page.