Skin tag and mole removal
Skin tags and raised moles catch on clothing, jewellery and razors. We remove them with cryotherapy, which freezes the lesion so your body sheds it naturally. It takes a few minutes and needs no cutting or stitches. Every lesion is assessed before we treat it.
What it treats
What skin tags and moles are
A skin tag is a small flap of soft tissue on a narrow stalk. A mole is a cluster of pigment-producing cells. Both are common and usually harmless.
- Tags appear most often on the neck, eyelids, underarms, groin and under the breasts.
- They are more likely where skin rubs, and where it is warm and moist.
- Both become more common with age, and tags often appear in pregnancy.
- Neither usually causes a problem, but both can catch, bleed and become sore.
Most people ask us to remove them because they snag or because they are in the way, not because they are worried. Either reason is fine.
Assessment comes first, every time
This is the part that matters most, and it is the reason we will not simply freeze anything you point at.
- We examine the lesion before we treat it, and confirm what it actually is.
- A lesion is only treated with cryotherapy when we are confident it is benign.
- If there is any doubt about a pigmented lesion, we refer you rather than treat it.
- We will not freeze a mole that is changing in size, shape or colour, or one that bleeds, itches or has never fully healed.
The reason is straightforward. Freezing removes the tissue, which means it can no longer be examined under a microscope. If a lesion needs checking properly, it needs to be checked properly, not frozen. We would rather send you for that than get it wrong.
How cryotherapy works
Cryotherapy means treating with cold. We apply liquid nitrogen precisely to the lesion using a fine applicator.
- The lesion freezes rapidly, down to around minus 196 degrees Celsius.
- Water inside the cells expands, which breaks the cell walls apart.
- Your body recognises the frozen tissue as damaged and clears it.
- The lesion darkens, forms a small scab, and falls away on its own.
Because the cold is applied only to the lesion, the healthy skin around it is largely left alone. That is what keeps the risk of marking low.
What happens on the day
The appointment is short. Most people have it done and go straight back to work.
- We assess the lesion and confirm it is suitable for cryotherapy.
- The area is cleaned, and nearby skin protected if needed.
- Liquid nitrogen is applied for a few seconds.
- The area is left to thaw naturally.
- For a larger lesion we may repeat the freeze and thaw once.
You may feel a sharp cold sting for a few seconds, then some tingling. Most people find it very manageable without any numbing.
Healing and aftercare
The treated spot will be pink and slightly swollen at first, then scab over. Leave the scab alone and let it come away by itself.
- Expect it to darken within a few days and fall away in one to two weeks.
- Keep the area clean and dry, and do not pick at it.
- Use sun protection on the healing skin, which reduces the chance of a lasting mark.
- Occasionally a larger lesion needs a second treatment.
- Tell us if it does not settle, or if anything regrows in the same spot.
Bring anything you are unsure about to your appointment, even if you only came about one tag. It is easier to look at it while you are here than to wonder about it later.
Before & after
Real Harmony Medical patient, shared with consent. Individual results vary.
Questions, answered
Yes, when the mole is raised and we are confident it is benign after assessing it. What we will not do is freeze a pigmented lesion we have any doubt about. Freezing removes the tissue, so it can no longer be examined under a microscope. If a mole needs checking properly, we refer you for that instead.
We examine it first. We look at its shape, colour, border and surface, and we ask whether it has changed, bled, itched or failed to heal. If it looks clearly benign, we can treat it that day. If anything is uncertain, we refer you rather than treat it.
There is a sharp cold sting for a few seconds, then some tingling. Most people manage comfortably without numbing. The whole thing takes a few minutes.
Usually there is little or no lasting mark, because the cold is applied only to the lesion and not the skin around it. A pale or slightly darker patch can remain for a while, particularly on deeper skin tones. Sun protection while it heals reduces that.
It darkens over a few days, scabs, then falls away by itself, usually within one to two weeks. Do not pick the scab off. A larger lesion occasionally needs a second treatment.
Several, if they are small and in the same area. We will tell you at assessment how many is sensible to do at once, because healing several sites at the same time is easier to manage when they are spread out.
Yes. There is no downtime. Keep the area clean and dry, avoid picking, and use sun protection on the healing skin.