Most moles, cysts and other blemishes are benign or non-cancerous. Uncommonly, moles can become cancerous growths.

People often want a moles or cysts removed simply because they are unattractive. This simple procedure can be very effective in improving appearance. Most procedures used to remove moles and skin lesions take a short time and can be performed in-office.

Usually benign lesions will not return once they have been removed. The most common methods of removal include removing the mole by shave excision, cryotherapy, radiofrequency, deep peeling by croton oil/phenol or cutting out the entire mole and stitching the area closed (excision). Shave excision, cryotherapy, radiofrequency or deep peeling by croton oil/phenol are simple procedures used to treat protruding benign skin lesions: the spot is removed and most of the time, there will be no trace of the surgery if the spot was of the superficial variety.

Sometime, there will be a flat white mark left if the root of the spot was deeper. Excisional biopsy may produce a better aesthetic result if the lesion is deeper in the skin, as with a cyst or deeper mole. The full depth of the lesion is removed and the wound is sutured. The scar that results from excision is usually only a thin line, though it can sometimes be more noticeable if the lesion was large or if the healing is abnormal. 

With an excision on the face, a combination of very fine sutures on the surface and absorbable sutures under the skin may be used. Coarse hair which often grows in a mole is best removed by excision of the whole mole. Skin blemishes may also be removed with various forms of burning or freezing such as cautery, laser or liquid nitrogen. Your plastic surgeon will inform you as to the best way to remove your unattractive blemishes.