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Abstract: Many people have moles on their faces, and the treatment methods used for compound moles vary in size, some can be done with laser, while others require surgical removal. The patient in this case is a 28-year-old guy who has a compound mole on his face for more than 10 years. He should be afraid of leaving scar or malignant change, so he has been hesitating whether to point it off or not, and finally even made up his mind to come to the dermatology department to consult a doctor. The doctor judged that the mole on his face was a low-risk composite mole, and finally used laser to remove it, and he was very satisfied with the postoperative result.
Basic information】Male, 28 years old
Disease Type】Composite nevus
Hospital】Maanshan Seventeenye Hospital
Consultation time】June 2022
Treatment plan】Laser (CO2 laser to remove compound nevus) + medication (compound lidocaine cream, bovine basic fibroblast growth factor gel)
Treatment Period】1 hour of outpatient treatment
Treatment effect】Composite nevus removed, good recovery
I. Initial consultation
She had a compound mole on her face for more than 10 years, which was not painful or itchy, but she felt that it would affect her beauty and wanted to have it removed, but she heard from her colleagues that it might leave scarring and might be malignant, so she was hesitant whether to have it removed or not. After examination, the pigmented mole on the patient’s face was judged to be a low-risk compound mole, with a size of about 3mm, no pain or itching, and no recent growth or expansion, so it could be removed by laser. In order to eliminate the patient’s doubts, I explained that after laser mole spotting, there would be a small depression at first, and after a period of skin tissue growth, the depression would gradually recover, and the patient agreed to receive laser mole removal treatment after understanding.
(Interview)
II. Treatment process
After the patient received the laser nevus solution, firstly, topical application of compound lidocaine cream for 1 hour, which can reduce the pain during the laser treatment. After applying the numbing medicine, the compound mole will be white, and then the compound mole will be removed by carbon dioxide laser, and after applying the numbing medicine, the process of mole removal is basically painless. After removal, there will be a small depression on the skin, then apply bovine alkaline fibroblast growth factor gel, then apply petroleum jelly gauze, and finally apply medical 3M tape to protect the wound. 1 week later, remove the tape, then continue to apply bovine alkaline fibroblast growth factor gel to promote wound recovery and reduce scarring.
(After anesthetic)
(Laser mole removal process)
III. Treatment effect
Immediately after laser mole removal, the compound mole is gone, leaving only a small crater. This crater will take some time to grow flat, usually around a few months. The patient was instructed not to touch water for the first few days after the mole removal to prevent infection, and to apply bovine basic fibroblast growth factor gel, then petroleum jelly gauze, and finally 3M adhesive tape to fully protect the wound surface, prevent wound infection, and minimize scar formation. 1 week later, the patient was very satisfied with the treatment result.
IV. Notes
We are glad that after laser treatment, the patient’s compound mole is removed, but the later skin recovery is very important, if the recovery is not good, it is likely to leave scar and affect the patient’s appearance, so we should pay attention to the following matters according to medical advice.
1. Do not pick off the scab, protect it and wait for it to fall off naturally, the scab can play a role in protecting the trauma, and waiting for the scab to fall off naturally can minimize scarring.
2, do not touch the water before the scabs fall off, so as to protect the wound and reduce wound infection, if the wound infection is easy to cause scar formation.
3, pay attention to sun protection, sunlight will cause pigmentation, the wound recovery left black marks, daily sunscreen clothing, sunscreen cap to help protect the trauma.
V. Personal insight
For the removal of compound moles, how to treat is the best treatment should depend on the situation. For moles below 3mm without the risk of malignant transformation, it is more suitable for laser removal, the cost of laser is relatively low, the treatment process is simple and convenient, the laser operation process can be finished in a few minutes, and the treatment effect is good. If it is a junction mole in a special area, such as the soles of the feet, palms of the hands, waist and neck, which are prone to friction, there is a certain risk of malignant transformation, and it is safer to remove such moles by surgery. Both surgery and laser may leave scar. Surgical removal will leave a linear scar, which will gradually fade after a few months, while laser removal will leave a shallow disc-shaped pit, which will gradually grow flat after a few months. In conclusion, if you want to get rid of a compound mole, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible and get the relevant information from him/her.