There are various ways of removing a mole.
For a raised mole, they are often completely surgically excised. The mole is completely removed in the process and the wound closed with stitches.
A mole can be also be removed by shave excision. In shave excision, the mole is shaved off till it is flat and the area cauterized. No stitches are needed for a shave excision but the part of the mole that is deeper may be left behind and there is higher risk of recurrence of the mole.
For very small flat moles, they can be removed by laser ablation.
If a mole is suspicious of cancer, ie looks irregular, bleeds or is rapidly increasing in size, then it is best to do an excision of the mole with histological examination to rule out a melanoma, which is the most dangerous type of skin cancer.
