Moles, Skin Tags, Warts and other lumps and bumps

There are several ways to address moles/tags/warts. When you come to Hummingbird, our knowledgeable medical Estheticians will review your issues and help to guide you in your treatment decision path. There are many treatment options including: surgical excision, laser removal, liquid nitrogen, and electrocautery.

Surgical excision is the removal of a mole by cutting the undesired tissue away, often requiring stitches after extraction. This is the method of choice if a diagnosing biopsy is required. This treatment will be recommended if there is any question of possible cancerous changes. Although the cosmetic removal is not covered by OHIP, the biopsy portion of the mole removal is an OHIP covered expense.

Liquid nitrogen is the removal of a mole or tag by freezing it. The liquid nitrogen causes extreme localized frostbite, and the treated tag or mole falls away several days after the original treatment. This is an economical way to treat many small tags at one time.

Laser treatment of moles involves 2 different types of removal. One of the laser / light machines 'sees' color and will selectively heat and destroy the flat pigmented harmless moles. The other laser is a 'vaporizing' laser and is used to remove the raised colorless fleshy moles. Often laser treatments need to be repeated 1-3 times for most individuals.

Electrocautery of moles involves the passage of current and heat into the mole to 'burn' it away. This treatment can also be used on small skin tags.

The choice of method depends on the type of mole / wart problem, and the family history of skin cancers.

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