Laser Mole Removal ...and skin tags and other lumps and bumps* with CO₂ Laser 

For tiny moles, no anesthetic is used. You will feel some sharp, hot, prickly pain. This is easily tolerated by most people. 

For larger moles, local anesthetic is used (tiny needle to freeze it). Once it is frozen, you will feel no pain during treatment.

You can also pre-treat the area with numbing cream (EMLA, Lidomax, Maxilene). It is slow to act, so it must be applied an hour before treatment and left in place until immediately prior to treatment. We have numbing cream available for purchase.

Most treated moles will not return. However, one of the goals of treatment is to minimize the chances of a scar. Therefore, an attempt is made to leave the underlying skin as uninjured as possible. This means that some of the mole might be left behind, and it can regrow. This is uncommon. 

Scars form with all skin injuries. Many of them are not visible because the injury was mild. The risk of scarring goes up with the degree of injury. The deeper or wider the injury, the greater the risk of a scar.

The goal of laser treatment of skin lesions is to destroy the lesion and minimize the skin injury. The skin lesion is vaporized one thin layer at a time. When the mole has been destroyed down to the level of normal skin, the treatment is finished. Skin injury is minimal and so is the scar. Judging this is an art, not a science. Normal skin can be injured with a resulting visible scar.

In some cases scarring is unavoidable because of the nature of the mole. It may be large and deep. You will trade a mole for a scar . Usually, the scar is small (like a chicken pox scar) and less noticeable than the mole.

The other factor to consider is your body’s response to skin injury. Some people tend to heal well. Others are prone to scars.

Scars can be flat, indented, or raised. They are almost always white, although darker-skinned people are more prone to making pigmented scars.

Keloids are a special kind of scar. These scars extend past the border of the injury to grow over healthy skin. They can be very large and unsightly. Some people a prone to them. Some parts of the body are more prone than others. Most people are aware if they have a tendency to make keloids. These people are at risk for keloid formation even with the precision of the laser.

There is a firmly held belief that wounds should be kept dry. In fact, we now know that the opposite is true. Wound healing is improved in a moist environment. The easiest way to keep a wound moist is to use ointments (like Polysporin) that lock in the body's moisture (after all, the human body is 75% water). You can also use silicone-based gel or pads. We have Skin Medica Scar Recovery gel that can further reduce the risk of scarring.

All skin colours can be treated, but darker skin is at higher risk of pigment problems.

Sun exposure can lead to pigmentation problems, but this is not common. It is advisable to reduce sun exposure following treatment. Generally, all that is required is for you to use sunscreen and a hat. (You should be doing this anyway, since all sun exposure causes skin damage.)

Sessions are 5 to 25 minutes. The price goes up in 5 minute blocks.

The length depends on the type and size of lesion being removed (some are soft and quick, some are firm and take longer) and the number of lesions being removed.

As a general ballpark figure, two moles can be removed every 5 minutes.

There will be some pain as described above. Swelling, redness, itching, mild soreness, scabs, and oozing are normal for a few days. The intense light delivered produces burning. Scarring can occur following a burn. Scar formation is not predictable. Keloids can form. (See "What is the Risk of Scarring?")

Infection can occur in the injured skin.

Skin color changes can occur. This can be increased pigmentation or decreased pigmentation. Pigment changes may be permanent.

The laser can injure your eyes. This would be about the same as scatching your eye and is very unlikely to result in a defect of your vision. Nonetheless, metal goggles will be provided for complete protection.

Absolutely not. The wavelength of light used is in the infrared range. This is at the opposite end of the spectrum from ultraviolet, x-rays, and gamma rays which are all capable of causing cancer. Infrared light does not cause cancer.

*There is a popular misconception that if you cause a mole to bleed it will turn cancerous. This is untrue. Cancerous moles can bleed with no trauma or minimal trauma, because they are made of weak abnormal tissue. This is the only connection between bleeding and moles.

You will have some superficial burns that will be a bit irritating. They feel more like scratches than burns.

Larger moles will need Polysporin and bandaids. Smaller lesions will have only Polysporin ointment applied.

None. You can return to your daily activities as usual. All you have to do is keep the wounds clean.

No. These moles are being removed for cosmetic reasons.

If a mole needs to be removed or biopsied because there is a suspicion of cancer, the cost is covered by OHIP. We do not provide this service. Laser is not an appropriate method to treat cancerous lesions, because there is no way to know if it has been completely removed. This requires excision and examination under a microscope.

Probably not. Check with your insurer.

Most health spending accounts allow you to use the funds for any service performed by a physician. Laser mole removal should qualify.  Check with your human resources department to make sure.

As of March 2010, medical services that are purely for cosmetic purposes ceased to qualify for the medical tax credit.

Just call (905) 726-1126

We require 48 hours notice for cancellation of your consultation or treatment, in order to fill the appointment time. If sufficient notice is not given, the full value of the treatment to be done may be charged. The minimum charge for a missed appointment or late cancellation is $100 (one hundred dollars).