Mole removal: why we refer instead of lasering

If you have searched for mole removal in London and landed here, the short answer is that Nova will not laser your mole, and we think no clinic should. A laser destroys the growth, so nothing is left to send to a laboratory. We assess skin tags and simple benign growths and treat the ones we are certain about; moles and anything pigmented or changing go to your GP.

The one reason that matters

The British Association of Dermatologists says it in one line: "It is not recommended to have a mole removed with laser as it is not possible to have a sample for histology" (BAD, 2021).

Histology is the microscope check. When a surgeon or GP cuts or shaves a mole off, the tissue goes to a pathologist who confirms what it was. That check is the only way to know for certain that a mole was harmless. A laser vaporises the growth layer by layer. There is no tissue. There is no check. If the mole was an early melanoma, the laser has hidden it and taken away the quickest route to finding it.

That is not a theoretical worry. A 2021 case series in Dermatology Practical and Conceptual describes four people whose melanomas were missed after a "mole" was removed cosmetically without histology, by ablative laser, by a chemical peel, or by an unrecorded method. The authors write that histopathological evaluation is "crucial prior to conducting an aesthetic removal" (Vural et al, 2021).

So at Nova, a mole is never lasered. A mole is a cluster of pigment cells (BAD, 2021), and the only person who should take one off is someone who can send it to the laboratory.

What we do treat

Skin tags, and seborrhoeic keratoses when they are plainly what they look like.

Skin tags, soft and skin-coloured, often on a little stalk in the neck, armpit or groin folds, are on the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges' list of benign lesions (AoMRC, 2024).

Seborrhoeic keratoses are the raised, waxy, warty, "stuck-on" brown growths that appear with age. The BAD describes them as harmless and lists laser alongside freezing and scraping as ways to take them off (BAD, 2022). We treat only the classic ones: light to mid-brown, unchanged for years by your account, no black or mixed colour, no bleeding, no inflammation. The BAD warns that a very dark one can look like a melanoma and that any changing brown or black growth must be checked (BAD, 2022), so a dark one is referred.

The assessment is free and happens on a separate day from treatment, so you have time to weigh "no laboratory check" against the convenience. We look at the growth, ask how long it has been there and whether it has changed, measure it and photograph it. If it fits a harmless type without a single doubt, we can treat it. If there is any doubt, we do not, and we write to your GP the same day with the photographs.

Prices: small growth 50, large growth 80, per growth, after assessment.

What we refer, and why

Everything pigmented that is not a classic seborrhoeic keratosis. Every mole. Any growth with more than one colour. Any growth 7 mm or wider. Any growth that has changed in the last year, or that you cannot date. Any growth that has been treated before and grown back; regrowth is how some of the missed melanomas in the 2021 series came to light (Vural et al, 2021).

We also refer anything that looks like it could be a different skin cancer. NICE asks GPs to consider an urgent referral for a growth that raises suspicion of squamous cell carcinoma, typically a crusted or ulcerated lump that is enlarging or not healing, and a routine referral for features of basal cell carcinoma: an ulcer with a raised rolled edge, fine blood vessels around a growth, or a pearly or waxy nodule (NICE NG12).

A referral from us is not a brush-off. If you want a mole taken off for cosmetic reasons with histology, a plastic surgeon can do it; we work with one and can point you there.

The GP checklists, in plain words

Two tools decide whether a mole needs an urgent look.

The ABCDE memory aid covers the signs the NHS lists for melanoma: an uneven, asymmetrical shape; a ragged or uneven border; a mix of two or more colours; a diameter larger than about 6 mm, though early melanomas can be smaller; and evolving, meaning any change in size, shape or colour. The NHS adds moles that are swollen, sore, bleeding, itchy or crusty, and says to see a GP if a mole has changed, if a new or unusual mark has not gone after a few weeks, or if a dark area appears under a nail without an injury (NHS, 2026).

The weighted 7-point checklist is what NICE asks GPs to use. Change in size, irregular shape and irregular colour score 2 points each. Largest diameter 7 mm or more, inflammation, oozing and a change in sensation score 1 point each. A score of 3 or more means a suspected cancer pathway referral (NICE NG12). The checklist is a referral tool, not a reassurance tool: a low score tells the GP a growth does not need an urgent appointment, it does not mean a mole can be destroyed without histology.

If anything on either list applies to you, see your GP this week, not a cosmetic clinic.

Who it suits, and who it does not

Treatment at Nova suits an adult with a classic skin tag, or a classic light brown seborrhoeic keratosis that has not changed, who understands that nothing is sent to a laboratory.

It does not suit anyone with a mole, anyone with a pigmented or changing growth, anyone under 18, anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, anyone who has taken prescription acne tablets in the last 6 months, or anyone with a skin cancer history or lowered immunity without a GP or dermatologist's letter about the growth. Growths on the eyelids, nails, palms, soles or genital skin are not treated here.

Risks and recovery

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges lists bleeding, pain, infection, scarring and anaesthetic risk for benign lesion removal, and notes there is little evidence that cosmetic removal is beneficial (AoMRC, 2024). Add to that a paler or darker mark at the site, more likely in darker skin, and regrowth, which is in the nature of seborrhoeic keratoses (BAD, 2022).

A sharp sting during treatment, eased with numbing cream. The site is raw for a few days, scabs, and heals like a graze over about 1 to 2 weeks, staying pink for weeks after that. The final look settles at about 3 months. Any change at the site at any time afterwards means a GP visit, not a repeat treatment.

FAQ

Do you do mole removal in London?

No. Nova never lasers a mole or any pigmented spot, because the laser leaves nothing to test (BAD, 2021). We assess and refer you to your GP, or point you to a surgeon who can take it off with histology.

My mole was lasered somewhere else. What now?

Watch the site. If anything grows back or changes at any time, see your GP and tell them it was lasered. Regrowth is how some of the missed melanomas in the 2021 series came to light (Vural et al, 2021).

How do I know if my mole is dangerous?

You cannot know by looking, and neither can we. Use the ABCDE signs and the NICE 7-point checklist above as a prompt to see your GP, not as a verdict.

Will the growth come back?

Skin tags rarely regrow in the same spot. Seborrhoeic keratoses can regrow, and new ones appear elsewhere over the years (BAD, 2022).

How much does it cost?

Assessment is free. Treatment is 50 for a small growth and 80 for a large one, per growth.

This is information, not medical advice. What suits you depends on your own history and your own skin, so book a free consultation.

For how removal works, what we treat and what we refer on, see our mole and skin lesion removal page.

Book a free consultation: novabeautyclinic.com or WhatsApp 077 21 400 600.