What is radiofrequency removal like?

A new technology known as radiowave surgery can remove benign moles and related lesions of the head and neck with very cosmetic scars. The radiowave technology by creating radiowaves (yes, just like your AM and FM radio) and using them to melt away the mole. While I cannot guarantee any patient that they won’t have any scar, many times when the patient returns for an 8 week follow up, neither the patient or I remember where the mole was because the scar is so esthetic. In the thousands of moles I have removed on the head and neck, I have yet to have a patient feel that the scar was worse than the mole.


With radiofrequency, the actual mole removal takes about one minute for the average lesion. For lesions that are suspicious, I will perform a biopsy before treating them. The skin is first numbed with a topical anesthetic cream and then a small amount of local anesthesia. The radiowave device literally melts the mole away with very minor tissue damage and that is the key to a successful scar. The treated area will be raw for several days and is coated with Vaseline. In about 5 days the area will be smooth and pink and make up can be used to cover the pinkness. The pinkness will resolve in several weeks, but can persist longer in patients with very light complexions. Generally by the eight week follow up, there is little evidence of the previous mole. It is also important to use sun block over the treated area during the healing process.

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