Electrolysis on mole

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hi,

I have a question on electrolysis on hair that grows from a mole. I have seen that this has been discussed in other threads but can’t really see that any clear answer has been given on if it’s dangerous or not.

The reason I am asking is that I am removing some hair from my back and I noticed that the electrologist also has removed hair that grows from moles that I have. I didn’t even see that I had hair growing from the moles so it is not something I discussed with the practitioner or anything she asked me about if I wanted to do or not. However, in one place it has caused a mole to get irritated and now (post three weeks of treatment) the mole and the surrouning area hasn’t healed properly yet, but is still read and sore. It looks sort of like a big scab, which worries me in terms of possible scarring.

I have been going through info available on internet and in various places it is stated that hairs growing from moles should not be treated with electrolysis or that a doctor should be consulted before doing it. But here on this forum I have seen that James and Dee have stated that it is not a problem to treat hair growing from moles, which is sort of confusing.

So I am wondering if there is any consensus on treatment or no-treatment and possible additional risks apart from scarring. For instance, I have read that treating moles with electrolysis could lead to changes in the pigmentation and shape of the mole which then leads to difficulties in detecting malignant melanoma (cancer). That could then implicate that you will have to remove the whole mole as cautionary measure. I am wondering if anyone has any further info on this?

Sorry if the post is long and thanks in advance for any available info!

#2

Well, she should have asked you first, that’s true. It will heal, but will probably take longer because hair from moles tend to require stronger treatments (they are very stubborn, even small ones). Most electrologists want a doctors approval first because it reduces their liability, but not all of them demand this. Mine treated a small mole I had on request with no doctor approval.

Electrolysis can lighten a mole or make it smaller, you are correct. Most people think this is a wonderful side-effect (in fact I’m half-tempted to have someone treat my non-risky, non-hairy moles just to disrupt the melanin production and make them less noticeable, hehehe).

Your concern about changes making cancer more difficult to detect is a legitimate one, but I doubt it will be a problem. If you are worried, then just have the mole removed now. It will probably look nicer (my mom has had many removed, and 99% of them left no marks behind).

#3

The mole controversy is based on the rather small possibility that one may have cancer, and the mole is a malignant one. If oxygen is introduced inside the mole, this would cause the cancer to grow faster than it is already. Of course, if you have this type of cancer it is only a matter of time anyway.

In most cases, the mole is just a bundle of blood vessels that have bunched up and raised the skin. In this case, electrolysis work in the mole would just end up softening and flattening the mole, and maybe even fading the darkened color of the growth. In many cases, electrolysis treatment of a mole would eliminate the mole entirely at the completion of the hair removal process 9 to 18 months later.

To get some perspective, doctors say that no electrolysis treatments should be done on any hair inside the nose, as an infection in this area could cause problems including brain damage, and death. Of course, the same logic says that every time you scratch the inside of your nose, you have the same risk. You decide where you believe you want to put your caution.

#4

Thanks MagicalPrincess and James - I really appreciate that you took the time to answer!

MagicalPrincess: I will think about if having the mole removed completely or not and I will just ask the electrologist to stay away from the moles from now on, seems like the easiest and safest thing.

James: the problem was not about moles that already have cancer, but rather that it becomes harder to discover cancer in time/at an early stage if you change the appearance of the mole through electrolysis. This, at least to me, seems like sort of a serious issue since if you discover it in time you can actually do something about it. Anyway, it would have been great if the electrologist just would have informed me about how the treatment would affect the mole.

Thanks again!

#5

Hair has been removed from moles by electrolysis for over ONE CENTURY. I think some patterns would have been established by now if hair removal per electrolysis caused problems. I ask for a prescription before removing hair so the doctor can observe the mole prior to electrolysis.

I’ll be back later.

#6

Okay, I’m back. I have been treating lots of hairy moles for a long time. Other electrologists do the same without incident. Worries about doing electrolysis on moles is unfounded. To illustrate this, one of my clients had a huge mole smack dab in the middle of her chin. She presented with 31 hairs coming out of that mole in every direction possible. After obtaining a prescription from her physician, the hair was cleared with blend and we maintained the area to keep it hair-free, over three hair growth cycles. The mole is almost flat and is truly hairless now. The client is very, VERY happy that people can hardly notice that ugly, hairy mole in the middle of her chin.

Several of your comments are untrue and I wanted people to know who are reading this that electrolysis is a fabulous and safe method to relieve people of those embarrassing hairy moles. Even if a doctor cuts out the mole, that does not always get rid of the hair because the hair can grow deeper than the doctor can cut. In fact, surgical removal leaves an ugly scar, whereas, electrolysis does not!

Dee

1 Like
#7

Hi Dee, thanks so much for your story and helpful info (I totally agree with you that I can’t imagine it being a problem big enough to freak over).

But may I add one thing? Removing moles doesn’t always leave scars or marks. My mom has had dozens (literally) removed over the years, and only one has ever left a scar. The doctor told her in advance that it would because it was so incredibly deep. All the others look like perfect skin now (including those on her face). Just thought I’d add that because I don’t want anyone to think that this medical procedure will definitely scar you up or something! :stuck_out_tongue:

#8

I’m coming from what I see under magnification when I am removing hairs that are still growing out the area where the mole was excised. Sorry I didn’t make that clearer, Miss Kitty. With a naked eye, the scarring is not as visible.

#9

Oh, that makes more sense. I have certainly never examined my mom under magnification, hehe!

Thanks. :slight_smile:

#10

Have you ever seen a photograph of a hairy melanoma ? Hairy moles are harmless moles.

#11

I fully endorse the opinion of Dee and Christine. And I go a little further.
Until recently, scientists believed that skin cancers originated from stem cells from hair follicles. It seems that this is false. The origin of skin cancer stem cells residing in located in the interfollicular epidermis.

Therefore, the hair follicle is susceptible to be removed without fear.

If this new theory was disproved. The eventual destruction of the follicle (by Electrolysis), would cancel any future possibility of causing cancer.

Most types of basal cell carcinoma are caused by excessive exposure to solar UV.

#12

Thanks a lot for the responses! In some cases however there seems to be some sort of misunderstanding, probably because I didn’t express myself well enough, I am sorry about that. I am not trying to dispute electrolysis as a good method for removing hairs or the fact that it can remove hairs from moles, that was not my point. I agree that it is a great method for this and that it works perfectly for those purposes. And I really do think it is fantastic that forums like this exist where people can get info and where dedicated people like Dee, James and others are truly trying to help out. I also want to stress that my intention is not to spread things that are “untrue” about electrolysis, I don’t see what the point would be in doing that.

What I was trying to say was that it seems to me that electrolysis can change the way the mole looks - just like Dee writes it can flatten it and thus change what the mole originally looked like. And my understanding was that when the appearance of the mole is changed it then becomes more difficult to detect skin cancer in the mole or prevent skin cancer, because the most common way to discover that skin cancer is developing or can develop are changes in form, shape, appareance of moles.That is why if you have a lot of moles you are supposed to regularly check them to see if any changes in them can be detected, and thus prevent or stop skin cancer (since skin cancer also is the most common form of cancer in e.g USA).

The problem would then be, as I understand it, that if the mole has been changed (through for instance electrolysis) then it becomes more difficult to make a pathological examination of the mole, the opportunity to detect cancer at an early stage is missed and it becomes difficult to distinguish if it is a healthy mole or not.

That was what I saw as possibly being problematic when doing electrolysis on a mole (that is, if the electrolysis changes the shape of the mole).

From the answers I have received here it seems that this it not the case however. It seems that it is correct to assume that electrolysis can change the appearance of the mole but that this does not make it more difficult to examine the mole. This is at least how I interpret what Dee writes: “I think some patterns would have been established by now if hair removal per electrolysis caused problems”.

That is of course great news as far as I am concerned, and I will then continue to treat my moles regardless of the changes in in them that I might experience. Thanks Dee! And thanks for the other comments as well!

#13

I understand that the existence of hair is a sign of benignity in hairy nevus.
Although the electrologist remove all terminal hairs on the mole, always leave some fine hair (hair peach), that you can see using a good light.
Malignant cells destroy everything, including the fine hairs of those follicles that have been treated. Therefore, while there is fine hair, things will go well.

We change the shape of the mole, of course, decreases the radius of its circumference and in the relief, if not disappeared altogether. By contrast, when it becomes malignant, increase their margins.

#14

And thank you electro for your detailed response. Concerning the shape of the mole, may I add this? When a mole has a lot of hair protruding from it, that hair takes up space. By removing the hair, the mole seems to “deflate” a bit. This is not always the case, but I have observed this many times.

Electrologists are in great position to observe borders, color, ill-proportioned moles, signs that may alert one to seek a medical opinion. Several times I have observed funky looking moles under my magnification and have asked the client to please have their physician take a look at this as soon as possible. Most are deemed fine, but one client actually did have an early and treatable skin cancer on his back. Magnification allows us to see the skin like no other person can and thus, electrologists can serve clients in other useful ways besides hair removal.

#15

How did they remove the moles? I had a dermatologist remove a mole by cutting off the skin, and a raised red growth by burning it off. Both left light scar tissue. The scar from the red growth is bigger than the growth itself was.

#16

To my knowledge all of them were cut out in the traditional fashion. Have you tried Mederma for your scars? My mom uses that and likes it.

In fact, she may have used it on her removed moles. I should ask her.

#17

re electro 123 and Dee Fahey The mole only appears to flatten from the middle, treatment doesn’t change the outline which is where Doctors look, for signs of changes. Moles that have have had hair, are harmless. Moles with no hair ,are the ones that should be regularly checked for these changes. Like Dee said, we are in a good position to notice these changes, and I have on many occasions advised clients to have a check up. Sometimes they have needed procedures. Skin cancer is very common here in Australia, and one needs to be very vigilant.

#18

Christine: I know you weren’t speaking to me, but thank you for that information. I didn’t know they flatten in the middle only. In your experience, does the pigment get significantly lighter? The two moles I had done are now quite flat and I am waiting for them to lighten.

One mole now is starting to noticeably lighten on one side (yay), but the other has not changed yet(it was treated a couple of weeks ago, so it may be too soon). Is it common for them to lighten or should I not get my hopes up for mole #2?

#19

Hi there - I actually see studies from 2019 that say malenoma can indeed start in the hair follicle. Any concerns with electrolysis and malenoma risk? Some melanomas may start in hair follicles | National Institutes of Health (NIH)

#20

I had electrolysis for hair growing from a mole in my shoulder. I had the mole since birth, and before I did electrolysis I had the mole inspected by a dermatologist, who confirmed that the mole is non-cancerous/dangerous.

I had 3 hairs growing from the mole. The electrolysis was 33% successful. Today, almost 2 years later, I have 2 hairs growing out of it. I plan on doing electrolysis again soon.

Here is my thread about it - Electrolysis for hairs in mole?