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@JennBug89: Don't worry, I'm sure everything will work out. Use your sunscreen, its better to be safe than sorry. I have had a friend that has it done but she did not say it was terrible. Take an anxiety pill and relax, everything is going to be okay.
Where are your moles you need to get removed?
I had a mole removed on my chin!! They numbed me cut it out, and I had like 10 stitches. Not to freak you out, but I passed out when they did it. Only b/c I am a huge baby when it comes to blood...I couldn't feel anything so it wasn't from the pain, but it was my imagination getting the best of me, picturing what was going on. If I wasn't so queasy, it would've been fine :)
I had a mole removed. It was kind of weird looking and intrusive (it was dark and stuck out and my bra always rubbed it) so my dr. referred me to a someone who would remove it. I was nervous because you're awake for the procedure, but it was seriously nothing.
I have kind of a needle phobia, so I asked her to tell me when she was going to freeze the spot (the mole was on my back, kind of near my arm pit) and she said "oh I already did", and then I asked her to tell me when she was about to make the incision, and she said "the knife's already in" - I felt nothing, and she took out a big chunk! Then she stiched it up and I couldn't wear a bra or heavy clothing for a week or two, and the stiches came out fine and it healed without any problem. There's still a scar a few years later but nothing obscene and overall it was an extremely untraumatic experience!
Don't worry, you'll be fine! And try not to be nervous, because there's no need to be :)
Good luck!
I had one removed from my forehead, right above my eyebrow. It was fairly small, but it had grown a bit and my dermatologist wanted to remove it just to be safe. They injected something into my face to make the mole "rise up" from the rest of my skin, and then they sliced it off with a scalpel. It was pretty much painless. They cauterized the spot, put a bandage on it, and sent me on my merry way.
I sound very similar to you. Blonde hair, blue eyes, tan easily. I stopped tanning (outside and in beds) when I was 20 because I don't want to look leathery when I'm older. I've since learned how to embrace my paleness, and if I really want a tan, I get an airbrush tan (not mystic).
Anyways, to answer your question, I have had moles removed. I've never had a separate appointment to do so though. I'm sure it depends on where the mole is and other factors, but I'll just go to the dermatologist for a checkup and if anything looks suspicious, she numbs the area, then cuts the mole off. I've never needed stitches, but my mom has before. The area should be numb, so stitches shouldn't hurt or anything. I wouldn't worry about the actual procedure.
I'm always more worried about getting the results back. They have always been fine, but the few days in between are torture! Just try to relax, and look at the positives: you stopped going in the sun, you're getting checked, and if anything does come back abnormal, you can treat it quickly. Most types of skin cancer are very treatable. But I'm sure it won't come to that!
@Soladylike: Thank you!
@cherrycoke: Oh I forgot to mention, its on my side/stomach under my boob. It makes me nervous because its right where the underwire on my bra rubs against.
@JennBug89: Maybe just wear sports bras for awhile while it's healing...you'll be fine :)
I had one excised from the side of my neck. It was quite uneventful. All I felt was a pinch and warmness from where they injected me. The best part was my good-looking general practitioner was really close. I had 5 stitches, he said he used more just to be sure and I removed them myself a week later. But really, there's no cause for alarm usually. It's good that you're getting it removed. My mole had changed color and shape and it came back normal. I'm glad it's gone.
I had one removed a couple of weeks ago - it was actually at the first appt I had made to have a mole looked at that had changed in color. The Dr. said it didn't look bad, but it's usually not a good thing when they change in appearance and it was better to remove it and have it checked. Within 10 minutes, he had numbed the area (it was on my forearm), sliced it out, and cauterized (sp?) the wound - I didn't have any stitches, but it was a pretty small mole. It's still healing - it was a pretty deep incision, but it's now about half the size that it was initially, so it's getting there.
Good luck - you'll be fine!!
I had one taken off my shoulder, it was no big deal. They numbed it with a teeny tiny shot and then I didnt feel anything, it was over in like a minute, I didnt even need stitches. It turned out to be fine, actually it grew back in a few months and my doctor said not to worry, it was benign cells and the new one grew from them so its benign too. I have been more uncomfortable during my annual dental cleaning.
I've had about 5 removed and one was cancerous (basal cell, not melanoma). The removal and healing isn't fun, but it's not that bad either. You'll be totally numb.
Warning you about gross sounds was over the top, IMO, and is giving you something to freak out about for a while instead whatever quick noise might happen. I've never heard a thing.
If you get a + they check you all the time. It gives me an excuse to get a peel or a photofacial, so my skins looking better than it was about a year ago.
I've had many removed because like you i'm fair skinned, naturally blond and blue eyes. I monitor my moles pretty closely due to some pre-cancerous scares.
The procedure does not hurt at all. the numb the area and then just splice it off, It only hurts afterwards if it's in a weird place. Like I had one removed right at my waist so it hurt to sit while it was healing because it would pinch the open wound. Chances are you won't even need stiches, (depending on how small it is). I've never needed stiches. The procedure shouldn't take more than 10 minutes, (at the most).
Lived in Florida all my life and got nervous about a small lump that suddenly appeared on my arm. The doc removed it in his office with no problem. Really simple for me -- he gave me an injection that numbed my arm and then just sliced it off/out. No stiches - just put a bandage over it and sent me off. Test results came back negative.
You'll be fine!! Nothing to be scared about!!
I've had several removed but all were on my arms and shoulders. The procedures were very quick. I had stitches on all of them but they were not bad at all. The scars aren't too bad and that was 13 years ago and I'm sure technology is better now.
Good luck :)
Thanks everyone!! You all are definitely reassuring me :) I know its kinda silly to be scared, but my anxiety goes through the roof when it comes to needles and my body!
I'll chime in with another "don't worry about it"--I've had them removed from my face, neck, back, you name it. Some have needed stitches, some haven't, some turned out to be pre-cancerous, others haven't. Being in a place that your bra rubs against can make a mole look funnier than it actually is, too.
Having just had a bunch off recently, I will say that a) the anesthesia injection is the most painful part of the procedure and b) the cauterization is the part that skeeves me out the most. I have never heard any strange noises with all of the ones I've had removed, though, so I'm not sure what your doc is talking about.
And finally, when you get to be my age (40s), you will really be happy that you used sunscreen. Seriously. You will look a lot younger than women the same age as you who don't. :)
@Mrs Grape: That was basically what I was going to say. Except for it wasn't me, it was DH. His family has a history of moles, but he had a few that were growing. He said it wasn't a huge deal, but the anticipation was the worst. His were on his back.
It's very good you got checked!! I don't have many moles, but I should probably go get myself checked because I have extremely fair skin + blue eyes.
I do this procedure, and it's one of the simplest things I do. Clean it off, numb it up (the worst part), cut it out (might feel a little pressure but not sharp or painful- don't look), a quick stitch (same as before)- easy. I don't know what this "breaking blood vessels" is about- never heard that one before. The vast majority of the things we take off end up being benign, but it's much better to do a simple procedure and have it be benign than miss a melanoma. It will be much easier than you expect!
@piglet_625: Yeah, I was worried because I had a 2nd degree sunburn (my only bad burn, as I'm usually SO careful about staying out of the sun) when I was 16 and I'm fair-skinned with blue eyes. You can never be too careful with this stuff!
I'm not really fair but I've had a mole removed that was large (1.5cm) and was always getting caught on my bra. It's a really quick procedure.
I was worried about the healing afterward because of the placement but it was totally fine.
It's good you're getting this checked out! I have a friend who is blue eyed, fair skinned and has tons of freckles yet she spends all of her time in the sun baking. I can only imagine what she's doing to her poor skin.
You will be fine.
I had a large one on my head removed. Everytime I put my hair up, people could see it. Hated it. The only thing I felt was the pinch from the needle to numb the area. It was nothing.When he cut it off, no pain, no nothing. It happened in less then 5 minutes.
I got others removed from my face. But these were cut/burned off. I cant explain the procedure. Those were not numbed but it wasnt bad. Just think of the outcome!! Deep breaths!!!
And I also was freezed. Im tired and cannot think of the liquid used. But it freezes on contact. I had to do that like 20 times. Now thats an experience!! They freeze you when they want to get rid of whatever you have in layers. The frozen part eventually falls off and then you go in again and get the next layer frozen,etc,etc.
Im glad I did it and would do more if I had the money. One side of my family is known for having moles and other things and I refuse to have any on me.
Going through all that, I know that you will be fine. Once your done you will be like, thats it? :) It will work out.
I am fair-skinned, blonde, blue-eyed, with a family history of melanoma, I've had 3 separate moles removed from my back. With the numbing injection, it was virtually painless, my derm used a flexible blade that was about the thickness of a sheet of paper. There was no sound at all, that sounds super creepy and I don't know what your doctor is talking about! They only remove the top few layers of skin so don't think that they're cutting deep into you or something. When it's done, they send the biopsy to the lab to test the cells. If they are "abnormal," sometimes the doctor will have to go back to remove more cells (this happened to me once out of three times).
Anyway, hope this helps! Good luck!
I have gotten a couple removed. When they remove it with a scalpel it isn't too bad, they can also use a "punch" to remove it that removes a bit deeper, and when I had a punch removal, it was a bit more sore afterwards. Really, none of them hurt all that much afterwards. I had stitches for the one removed by punch, since they removed deeper tissue, but the rest I went without stitches.
had one removed 3 years ago, about the size of a nickel. Won't say where. lol. Removed with a scalpel. Major healing took about 2 weeks. It was sore for a couple months, and there was raised, hard scar tissue. Weird, the scar tissue softened and the scar's been smoother since about 4 months ago. Anyways, point being, it's not a big deal. You may get a little scarring, but if it's small you'll be just fine. It won't be very noticeable at all, and will fade over time. :)
I've never heard anything about the "breaking blood vessels" and even got to assist in removing moles during my Dermatology rotation. My family is full of light-skinned people who are constantly having moles removed. Between my family and the patients I've seen in my rotations, no one has EVER metioned hearing any nasty noises or having a very negative experience with the procedure itself.
It is very normal to be a bit apprehensive about any sort of procedure. It's ok. I would definitely take something for your nerves about 30 minutes before your appointment time (just have someone else drive you to your appointment!). I would also put some relaxing music on your ipod and listen to it once you are numbed up. It may help take your mind off of things. Just practice taking slow, deep breaths. . .in through your nose and out through your mouth. Really focus on your breathing when you're in the office.
Also, you're doing the right thing by following up with your doctor. That's not always easy, especially when you don't like doctors. I'm proud of you, and you should be proud of yourself too!
How'd the removal go?
I had a mole removed from my back last December. I had two larger moles on my back and one had changed a little in size and the border was questionable. My dermatologist offered to remove it that day or make an appt with a more skilled derm for less scaring. I'm already scared up, so I just wanted to get it over with. The worst part was realizing that I had on panties that said "excessive talker" and they all saw them. They numbed the area, but used a super small needle so it was the tiniest pinch (2 seconds of annoyance). I didn't feel a single thing and it's healed up quite well.
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I went to the dermatologist for the first time 3 months ago. DH's grandmother passed away in May from Melanoma that had spread to her lungs/brain. That, combined with the fact that 3/4 of my grandparents have had skin cancer, made me realize that I needed to get checked.
I went in July and the Dr checked me and found a few moles that she was worried about. She measured them and set an appointment for October to see if they grew. Well one of them did and she immediately made an appointment for me to get it removed so she can send it to the lab to see if its precancerous or cancerous. I'm blonde/green eyes/fair skin and the Dr actually told me that I was "too tan." I've always tanned easily from the sun and I've gone to the tanning bed on and off for 2 years (about once/twice a week when I would go).
OMG, I'm freaking out. Obviously, I'm worried that it might not come back normal. But also, I'm terrified of the procedure. I had medical issues when I was a kid and I had 3 major surgeries in first grade. Since then, I've been so scared of doctors and I even have to take a valium to have my yearly exam with the gyno. I KNOW removing the mole is neccessary and obviously I'm going to go through with the procedure, but I'm really nervous. She's going to numb me, cut it out, then stitch it back up. She told me to take something for my nerves and to bring an iPod since sometimes you can hear blood vessels "breaking" (YUCK).
I'm trying really hard to be brave and not overthink it/psyche myself out. Any bees have stories to reassure me?
Oh and I'm so over tanning beds and baking at the beach. It is SO not worth it. Don't get me wrong, I love being tan, but I'm sure as heck going to get used to my beautiful skin :)