Assessed before removed · performed by Dr Chahal
The important part of this is not the removal. It is the assessment beforehand, because a lesion removed for cosmetic reasons without being examined properly is a genuine risk, not a convenience.
Assessed before it is recommended. If it is not the right treatment for you, we will say so.
Most skin tags and moles are exactly what they appear to be. A small number are not. The only way to tell the difference reliably is examination by someone qualified to recognise what should not be removed casually.
That is why we do not offer removal as a walk-in cosmetic service. If a lesion has changed, bled, has irregular borders or an unusual colour, it needs assessment and often pathology rather than a quick cosmetic fix. Removing it without that destroys the evidence.
Where a lesion is benign and removal is reasonable, it is a quick and straightforward procedure. The care is in the step before it.
Not everything should be removed, and not everything should be removed by us.
| Finding | What happens |
|---|---|
| Clearly benign skin tag | Removed, usually the same visit if you wish |
| Benign mole, removal for cosmetic reasons | Discussed including scarring, then removed and sent for pathology |
| Anything changing, irregular or uncertain | Not removed cosmetically. Referred for proper assessment |
| Lesion in a cosmetically sensitive area | Discussed carefully — the scar may bother you more than the lesion |
| Numerous lesions or a history of skin cancer | Referred for full skin examination first |
We would rather send you away with a referral than remove something that should have been examined. That is not caution for its own sake.
We do not perform full skin cancer checks. If that is what you need, we will tell you where to go.
Confirmed at your assessment. Pathology, where indicated, may carry a separate cost and we will tell you before proceeding.
Every removal leaves a scar. In a cosmetically sensitive area that scar may trouble you more than the lesion did, and we will make sure you have considered it.
We will not remove anything suspicious cosmetically. Bleeding, infection and recurrence are possible with any removal and are discussed beforehand.
All medical procedures carry risk, and individual results vary. Suitability is determined at assessment, not on the phone.
Yes. Every removal leaves a mark of some kind. How noticeable depends on the site, the method and your skin, and we will be frank about it before you decide.
Local anaesthetic is used where needed. The anaesthetic itself is the uncomfortable part and it is brief.
Moles are generally sent for pathology. Skin tags usually are not. Anything uncertain is not removed cosmetically at all.
Sometimes, for clearly benign skin tags. For anything else, assessment comes first and removal is a separate decision.
No. That is a different service and we will point you to it if that is what you need.
Skin tags can recur, particularly where friction caused them. Properly removed moles generally do not.
This is the one treatment where the cautious answer is genuinely the right one. If something needs looking at properly, we will say so.
240 Riley St, Surry Hills · (02) 8074 1559
