Moles appear throughout our lives and almost all of them will never cause any problems. Most moles are smooth, evenly brown and may have hairs protruding from them. There are some features of a mole which may be cause for concern and these include:
A = Area – mole is increasing in size
B = Bleeding/Border – irregular border (most moles are smooth and round)
C = Colour – uneven colours within the mole, especially very black bits.
Most mole surveillance should be done within your family, but worrying moles should be seen by your GP and perhaps a dermatologist. These may then be removed (biopsied) and sent to the laboratory for examination. I will use a form of magnification to examine worrying moles and I may also recommend removal if I cannot reassure you that the mole is clearly benign.
Moles that worry you because of their appearance may also be removed, either by surgical excision or scraping. The cost of these procedures will generally NOT be met by your insurance company.
It must be understood, however, that this process will leave a mark or scar and this is subject to the same process of wound healing and scar formation as any other scar – see Scar Revision – and this may be no better, and may perhaps be worse, than the pre-existing mole. Teenagers are especially prone to concerns about their appearance, but this is really not a good age to contemplate mole removal
If we do decide together to remove a mole for you, this is generally done under a local anaesthetic as a day case in the outpatient theatre.
http://www.bapras.org.uk/public/patient-information/surgery-guides/benign-skin-conditions