Every person knows what moles and age spots on the body are. For some, nevi bother them, causing cosmetic discomfort or pain, so many decide to get rid of them through surgery. Then they wonder why the scar hurts after mole removal. The causes of pain can be various complications that only a highly qualified specialist can identify.
1. Normal healing process
It is considered normal for the mole removal site to hurt for several weeks. If the nevus is large, it will likely take longer to heal. Everything will depend on the specifics of each human body.
Signs of healing
- Minor pain;
- Slight redness of the skin;
- Crust formation.
If after surgery a person is bothered by any extraneous signs, it is better to go to the hospital in a timely manner to avoid serious complications.
Treatment options
After a few days, a crust appears on the wound, which cannot be wetted or torn off independently in order to avoid infections.
Conservative methods of treating pain after mole removal include:
- Potassium permanganate;
- Healing ointments;
- Sunscreens.
2. Infiltrate
Removing a mole is a common manipulation in medical practice, which takes place without complicated consequences. But sometimes a red bump appears at the site of mole removal - an infiltrate that can cause pain.
This phenomenon is explained by the fact that cellular elements with blood and lymph have accumulated in the tissues. The cause of the disease is:
- Damage to soft tissues;
- Poor blood clotting;
- Improper postoperative care;
- Penetration of infection.
Signs of infiltration
The disease does not manifest itself with many symptoms, but among them are:
- Pain from touching the place where the mole was removed;
- Local redness of the skin.
If the disease does not provoke inflammatory processes, signs may be completely absent.
Under any circumstances, it is worth visiting your doctor again in order to avoid unpleasant outcomes.
Treatment options
To eliminate infiltration, doctors use:
- Regeneration therapy;
- Antibacterial drugs;
- Physiotherapeutic procedures.
All medications must be strictly prescribed by a doctor.
3. Thermal burn
When a person decides to remove a mole, he should carefully study each technique and make the right decision. For example, if, after removing a mole, the place where burning with liquid nitrogen was carried out hurts, then this is a thermal burn. It is formed due to the substance entering healthy tissue.
This method has some caveats and is contraindicated for people who:
- Infectious diseases;
- Herpes;
- Arterial pressure;
- Mental disorders;
- Lactation;
- Pregnancy.
Signs of a burn
Treatment options
You can get rid of a burn with the help of wound-healing ointments, which should be prescribed by your doctor.
4. Hypertrophic scar
As a rule, after professional removal of a mole, a barely noticeable scar or no trace remains on the body. Of course, it all depends on the chosen method, among which:
- Laser;
- Radio waves;
- Electrocoagulation;
- Cryodestruction;
- Surgery.
But, if healing is accompanied by some disturbances, then a hypertrophic scar appears at the site of the removed mole - stretched skin, causing pain and discomfort.
This disease occurs due to excess collagen produced by multiplied cells. Fibroblasts are cells that are supposed to eliminate excess collagen formation. As a result of these disorders, a hypertrophic scar is generated.
Signs of illness
Signs of the disease include:
- Pain in the affected area;
- Discomfort of movements;
- Visible skin changes.
Treatment options
When a scar from a mole hurts, doctors prescribe:
- Drug therapy;
- Physiotherapy;
- Radiation therapy;
- Laser grinding.
5. Suppuration
After removal of the nevus, pain is caused by suppuration, which can be seen by everyone. In case of such manifestations, it is recommended to immediately visit a doctor.
The consequence of suppuration is:
- Negligent attitude to the doctor’s rehabilitation instructions;
- Staphylococcus;
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa;
- Various microbes;
- Chronic inflammatory process;
- Lack of personal hygiene;
- Dirty water.
Signs of illness
Signs of suppuration include:
- Poor wound healing;
- Local redness;
- Paroxysmal pain;
- Heat;
- Purulent discharge;
- Swelling.
These signs are evidence of a serious complication that requires urgent and appropriate treatment.
Treatment options
To treat suppuration that has formed at the site of a removed mole, antibacterial therapy is used, including:
- Antimicrobial ointments and powders;
- Zelenka;
- Potassium permanganate;
- Sometimes, antibiotics.
6. Melanoma
Many people are interested in whether it hurts to remove a mole, but few are interested in the consequences, because beauty and comfort always come first. Sometimes, the mole itself becomes the cause of illnesses. But, before you go for an operation to remove it, you should find out the nature of its occurrence and possible consequences.
Pain after mole removal is caused by melanoma, an oncological disease that is a type of skin cancer. According to statistics, 200 thousand people in the world die from melanoma every year.
Scientists to this day have not been able to find out the exact causes of the disease, but they have been able to identify some factors that contribute to the development of melanoma, which causes pain after mole removal:
- Genetic predisposition;
- Ultraviolet irradiation;
- Hormonal imbalances;
- Sunburn;
- Age category over 50 years.
Signs of illness
Signs of melanoma formation include:
- Pain at the site of the removed mole;
- Itching;
- Burning;
- Redness of the skin;
- Edema.
Proper removal of a mole is a reliable measure for preventing the disease. Pain and tumor formation can provoke the following cases:
- Traumatic removal methods;
- Incomplete removal of a mole;
- The presence of cancer cells in the body.
Therefore, if after removal of a mole pain appears or the area begins to itch, you should immediately seek advice from specialists.
Treatment options
To get rid of melanoma that causes pain after removing a mole, doctors do a repeat procedure, including:
- Surgical intervention;
- Chemotherapy;
- Immunotherapy;
- Radiation therapy.
Doctors treating pain after mole removal
If pain occurs after removal of a nevus, you need to visit your doctor, who will make the appropriate diagnosis and prescribe therapy.
Doctors involved in the treatment and removal of moles:
Less popular causes of pain after mole removal
Other reasons include all kinds of inflammatory processes that cause pain in the head, as well as:
- New development of a mole;
- Injuries;
- Basalioma;
- Squamous cell carcinoma;
- Cosmetic surgeries performed by unqualified specialists.
Summarizing
There is no need to engage in self-treatment, as this leads to unforeseen consequences. If the scar hurts after removal, you should visit a clinic where they can determine the true cause of the pain and prescribe appropriate treatment.
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Removing moles and warts is not a difficult operation for either surgeons or patients. It is carried out without hospitalization and as planned. Preliminary examination and modern methods of intervention virtually eliminate postoperative complications.
Healing
A wound is formed at the site where the mole was removed immediately after the operation. Depending on the method of eliminating the defect, either a clear narrow scar or a spot appears on the skin. In most cases, a crust forms in the area where the skin was cut with a scalpel, damaged by laser, liquid nitrogen or electrical exposure. This is a protective reaction of the body aimed at closing an area vulnerable to infection. In the first week - ten days, it is not recommended to carry out any physical impact on the area of the operation. Maintaining the integrity and tight fit of the crust to intact skin protects against infectious complications. Therefore, you should refrain from rubbing, applying bandages and plaster, or rubbing creams. Especially towards the end of the first week, patients are bothered by itching, which causes involuntary peeling off of the crust.
Important! Premature removal of the crust from the wound is fraught not only with infection and an increase in the recovery period, but also with the formation of a more noticeable scar at the site of the operation.
Scar Formation
After removal of a mole, a scar begins to form under the crust. After falling off, young pink skin is found in its place. At first, the scar is painful upon contact, then increased sensitivity, and over time, unusual sensations when touched disappear, and the elasticity of the tissue is restored.
The appearance of an uncomplicated scar also does not cause concern: the pink surface fades over time, the level of the scar is leveled with the general level of epithelial tissue, the skin looks healthy, and the site of damage is not noticeable. Complete healing of the wound surface occurs after removal of the mole in about a year. The scar at the site of surgical treatment or the area of non-invasive treatment is hardly noticeable by this time and practically does not stand out.
Complications
In rare cases, the restoration of the integumentary tissue does not go so smoothly.
Cosmetic defect
If for some reason the wound does not heal by primary intention (multiple removal of the crust, repeated trauma to the surgical site), then the scar is not so flawless. The connective tissue spreads over a larger area, and there is a strong decrease in elasticity, which means limited mobility. But, sooner or later, in this case too, the functions will be restored, and healing will occur fully.
Keloid scar
An even rarer complication after mole removal is a keloid scar. This is a very unpleasant consequence that occurs for unknown reasons. It is believed that the following factors can provoke the appearance of excessive skin growths instead of the formation of a neat scar:
- deep damage to the epithelium;
- decrease in the body's immune forces;
- tendency to allergies;
- special conditions, for example, pregnancy, puberty.
But the most significant reason for the occurrence of a keloid scar is considered to be a genetic predisposition. In this case, a hypertrophied growth can occur even without visible tissue damage (in this case we are talking about a tumor of keloid origin) or at the site of the smallest scratch.
Stages of keloid development
A keloid scar does not form immediately after removal of a mole. Against the background of textbook healing, after a year, and sometimes more, the tissue on the scar begins to grow. The connective tissue appears inflamed (red or pink), and the volume quickly increases. The surface of the scar is smooth, but uneven, protruding above the skin by 8 - 10 mm.
The formation of a scar and its growth last on average 2 – 3 years, but can last up to 5. During this time, the fibers of the growth become coarser, and in case of accidental injury, screeds and excessive skin tension are formed. Then the scar stabilizes and remains unchanged for many years. Its increase in a stable period is provoked by accidental repeated damage, constant physical or thermal exposure.
Treatment of postoperative scars
Uncomplicated healing processes after mole removal do not require special therapy. In some cases, a dermatologist may recommend emollient ointments and creams; in case of a large healing area, a course of physiotherapy is prescribed.
Keloid scar is a complex case. On the one hand, any physical impact can provoke rapid growth of connective tissue. On the other hand, in the absence of treatment, a significant cosmetic, physical and functional skin defect develops. Therefore, in each specific case, dermatologists resort to individual schemes for restoring skin smoothness. Doctors have the following tools in their arsenal:
- absorbable ointments (“Karipain”, “Kotnraktubex”, etc.) - daily rubbing, applying bandages;
- corticosteroids (“Triamcinolone acetonide”, etc.) – injection of a suspension of the drug into the growth approximately once a month;
- physiotherapy (electrical and phonophoresis with the flow of ions of absorbable agents into the tumor area);
- constant grinding of the skin surface - effective at the first signs of a keloid or after its surgical removal;
- excision of scar tissue with subsequent prevention of an increase in the amount of scar connective tissue;
- tight bandaging (bandage) with absorbable agents at the first signs of overgrowth.
Important! Keloid scar is a chronic phenomenon that requires periodic courses of treatment. But with age, aggressive tissue proliferation gradually decreases, and after 40 years it is much less common than in childhood and youth.
The positive point in this situation is that keloids are not prone to degeneration into a malignant tumor.
Thus, the scar after mole removal in the vast majority of cases is neat and does not cause trouble to the person who underwent the operation. In rare cases of excessive scar growth, the dermatologist will select a treatment that is recommended to be strictly followed.
Video: Laser removal of scars and scars
Mole removal is a surgical procedure that involves excision of a spot. It can be carried out with a scalpel or minimally invasive methods: laser coagulation, diathermoelectrocoagulation, cryodestruction, radio wave method. It is necessary to follow the rules of preparation and postoperative care, otherwise keloid scars appear, the mole itches after removal, the state of health is disturbed, pain occurs, recurrence of the nevus, and suppuration of the wound area.
Causes and dangerous consequences of mole removal
The consequences of mole removal are the result of individual characteristics of skin regeneration, the immune system, the method of exposure - freezing of the deep layers of the skin, burns in the absence of adjustment of the laser temperature - non-compliance with recommendations for preparation for the procedure, care of the suture, wound surface after surgery.
Symptoms that may bother the patient are a reason to consult a dermatologist for advice. If the site of the formation hurts, itching, peeling of the epidermis appears, the addition of secondary microflora is observed with the release of pus or blood from the wound, rapid fatigue - such a clinical picture should alert a person. Relapse is possible. Incomplete removal of a birthmark can provoke malignant cell growth.
Pain at the surgical site
If the site of mole removal hurts, you should pay attention to the time interval from the moment of excision of the nevus. It is important whether the postoperative scar aches several weeks or months after the intervention, or whether the open wound causes discomfort.
If the scar begins to hurt after removing a mole 14-18 days later, this is a reason to consult a doctor who performed surgery to eliminate the pigment formation.
In case of discomfort when pressing and redness of the surrounding tissues, concomitant pathology may occur.
Very itchy
Removing a mole is often accompanied by itching and swelling. Wounds on the hands and feet may itch due to frequent washing, treatment with disinfectants, and soap. On the back - due to increased sweating - hyperhidrosis - friction of the postoperative wound on clothing.
Scars itch after mole removal for various reasons:
- Normally, itching occurs as a result of healing and scar formation. There is no inflammation or pain;
- the addition of pathogenic microflora with the development of bacterial inflammation. An infectious agent can penetrate the wound surface if the rules of asepsis and antisepsis are not followed;
- Complications after a laser burn may occur due to swelling, edema and itching;
- disruption of the healing process, suppuration of the wound can provoke itching.
Burning
Burning and pain occur with superficial and deep burns of the skin. Normally, when the postoperative area heals, the feeling that the skin begins to “burn” does not appear. It can occur due to insolation and lack of protection with sunscreens with a high level of SPF\SFA.
Weakness, temperature
Increased body temperature and pain after removal are a pathological sign. It may be an individual form of the immune system’s response to eliminating pigment formation:
- an increase in body temperature can serve as a signal of malignant processes in the body associated with getting rid of a mole;
- layering of a secondary bacterial or viral infection, manifestation of the acute phase of the disease due to failure to maintain sterility during the operation, introduction of infectious pathogens;
- provocation of autoimmune pathology due to surgery;
- inflammatory processes in the lymph nodes according to the type of immediate hypersensitivity reaction.
General weakness can manifest itself under the influence of triggers:
- stress factor in the form of invasive intervention;
- experiences against the background of exhaustion of the nervous system.
Should you see a doctor with these symptoms?
If deviations appear after removing a mole, atypical symptoms, pain, even if the symptoms stop spontaneously, it is recommended to consult a doctor to avoid complications.
It is necessary to pay attention to acute symptoms. If certain signs appear, you should immediately contact the dermatology department:
- atypical discharge from the wound - blood, pus, serous clear liquid - one-time or constant;
- raising body temperature to 39-40 degrees. Prolonged hyperemia, which is poorly treated with antipyretics and NSAIDs;
- acute and throbbing pain, difficult to relieve with medications. Taking ibuprofen or aspirin should be avoided: they increase the risk of bleeding from a postoperative wound.
The doctor will determine the nature of the changes, conduct diagnostics, and help differentiate pathological symptoms from normal processes of epithelization of the postoperative wound. If necessary, he will prescribe additional biochemical tests or histological examination of tissue from the surgical area.
How to treat a scar
Treatment before the process of removing moles using one of the surgical methods and care after surgery are mandatory components of preventing the development of negative reactions. If there is pain in the scar area, you can use medications:
- antiseptics to relieve discomfort, eliminate secondary microflora - brilliant green, alcohol, iodine solution, Betadine, Miramistin, Chlorhexidine bigluconate;
- dyes with a drying effect to stimulate epithelization, eliminate a weeping wound, and rapid healing - Fukortsin, Castellani paint;
- ointments that relieve inflammation - Levomekol, Solcoseryl, Streptomycin, Baneocin, Betamentasone, ointments with Panthenol;
- ointments and creams that stimulate suture contraction and skin regeneration after surgery - Kontraktubes, Mederma;
- natural oils, herbal decoctions for rubbing and relieving pain - milk thistle oil, sea buckthorn, St. John's wort, aloe;
- Actovegin - stimulates regeneration at the cellular level.
What sensations are normal after removal?
After the destruction of nevi, birthmarks, and moles, a scar may form. Depending on the method of elimination, the individual characteristics of regeneration, epithelization, and wound healing, the process takes up to 2 weeks. For large volumes, deep location – up to 3 weeks.
Scar formation begins at the stage of drying of the wound surface crust. It is important to preserve it until it peels off on its own: after trying to tear off the crust, the scar may become too rough.
Options for scar formations:
- A hypertrophic scar with a rough, uneven relief, rising above the surface of the skin.
- Keloid. A raised mass that occurs infrequently. Depigmented with a smooth glossy surface.
- Red or purple - the initial form of scarring, forms under the crust after falling off, then moves into the next stage of development.
If you experience symptoms of impaired mole healing and pain after removal, it is recommended to seek medical help.