Dermatend Facial Mole Remover??

[rszdtrvl]

Has anyone tried the Dermatend mole/skin tag remover?

DS has a mole on his face and is very self-conscious about it. It is a Marilyn Monroe-esque type mole.

Has anyone tried any otc removers or had one removed at a doctors office/hospital?

Your experience??

Thanks, in advance!

 

[Karalea]

I have never tried an OTC product but have had many things removed at the doctors office.

I recently had a mole removed from the side of my nose. It wasn't that big of a deal. They numb the area and then sliced it off. I have had skin tags cut off, frozen off, and burned off with an electric needle thing. I do not recomend letting them burn it off. It was the worse pain I have ever had in my life. Freezing and cutting were no big deal.

You have to wear a bandaid over the area for 24 hours and that is it.

It is worth the $20 co-pay. They will probably send it off for a biopsy. Depending on your insurance, this will cost you $$. Mine was about $103 because it counted towards the deductible which I hadn't meant yet.

 

[katrina1122]

I"ve had several removed. If it's on his face I suggest a plastic surgeon over a dermatologist just because they will be more careful to avoid a scar, but scaring these days is pretty rare.
Derms can do skin tags, but they usually aren't covered by insurance. Mine charges $120 ish to remove 10, but they'll take more if you have them.

I don't know about the over the counter stuff, but if he has a mole it should be bi-opsied just in case. I had one just below my nose which looked perfectly normal but the plastic surgeon had it biopsied and it had abnormal cells. So if it comes back I have to tell a dermatologist. I wouldn't have known that otherwise.

Removal is fairly painless. The numbing agent hurts worse than the removal.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

I personally never would use an OTC method, especially if it was for a mole on my face. Too much risk of deforming yourself if you ask me. I have a slight phobia of moles so I have gotten a few removed in the past, and just had one on my forehead taken off last month. She opted to remove it with a razor and the only part that hurt was the shot from the numbing medicine. Bandaid for 24-48 hours and could treat with vaseline for a couple of days. Your son will likely see a scar so it's up to him whether or not a scar or the mole is worse. I wasn't too worried about the scar because I can easily cover it with makeup, your son may not have that option.

 

[rszdtrvl]

My son is pretty high strung - a lot like his mother, LOL - so I cannot imagine him letting a doctor stick a needle in his face and use a razor blade to remove a mole. He would have to be totally sedated to allow that. It was hard enough to get him to allow the doctor to poke an infected finger last year, to allow the infection to leave it.

The Dermatend has excellent reviews online, and on Amazon.com too.

I do need to schedule him a doctors appt for next month, so we could always discuss it with the doctor before we try it.

My son does not have a lot of self-esteem. He always says that he is ugly, and he thinks he is ugly because of the mole. It definitely is affecting his mood.

 

[Octoberbride03]

I don't think the mole is that big from the picture, but if he thinks its big then send him to the Dr. You don't say how old he is, but I've read a lot of warning on OTC stuff for warts and skin tags etc. They ALL say not to use ANTHING on your face if its OTC. The skin there is thinner and more sensitive than on your torso and limbs.

If he really needs general anesthesia to get have it done, and wants it off that badly, then see if can't be worked out.

As for the pic, I wouldn't be happy if my mom posted that and I'm not high strung that way.

 

[mamamary]

I would not use anything OTC for a mole. I have had one removed in the past from a dermatologist in his office. My son who was about 10 or so had one removed. It was considered outpatient surgery. Even though i didn't think the mole was so big (and I was surprised they didn't just want to do it in the office) the dermatologist rec. that we go to a plastic surgeon. Plus usually don't all moles need to be biopsied?

 

[englishteacha]

I had a mole removed from my back because it had been biopsied and came back abnormal. They cut it out in a football shape around it to make sure they got all the roots. I have a tiny scar. If it had been on my face, I would have opted to go to a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist who specializes in removing things from faces. I think part of the question is, would he rather have a mole or a scar? Even with the best surgeon a scar is possible.

To get an idea of how he'd look without it, could you dot on some concealer? See if he likes how he looks then. I work with teens and I totally understand how one thing can skew a teen's self image. However, I'd also be concerned that removing the mole might not "solve" his self image issues. Once the mole is gone, will he fixate on something else? Perhaps before you (as in you and he) make this decision, he/you could talk to a doctor or counselor.

 

[Janepod]

I have had four moles removed from my face. Creepy huh? I have that Angelina Jolie skin with bumps and moles. Very frustrating. Anyway, each was $400 out of pocket from a plastic surgeon, and totally worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
(I didn't do them all at once.)

 

[JessicaR]

I remembered reading about it on a thread here - so I found it!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2139275&highlight=dermatend

 

[rszdtrvl]

Thanks for the link.

Ya know, this mole could be the reason he doesn't like shaving. In this case, I would bet that it would not be considered cosmetic, but preventative, as if he cuts it while shaving it could become infected.

Still looking for any info on the Dermatend - my son is 15 yo.

 

[Planogirl]

I had one removed by a dermatologist that has a good reputation for removing them without scarring. It was under my eye and kept growing and growing. I paid about $250 out of pocket and it included a biopsy.

I would consider that myself.

 

[KristaTX]

If the mole is affecting the way he feels about his appearance, and if he's willing to go through with the procedure, then let him have it removed. If he really hates the mole, he will probably be willing to go through with the procedure, which is almost painless (except for the brief sting from the anesthetic) and is very quick. Those few seconds sure beat a lifetime of self-consciousness.

I had 3 or 4 moles removed from my face and neck in my 20s. They had been there since I was a young child, and they always affected how I felt about my looks. I wish I'd had them removed when I was a kid. I've also had moles removed from my arms, legs, back, abdomen. It is SOOOO worth it.

He might do it during spring break or summer, though, so he doesn't have to go to school with a band aid or scab.

 

[RangerPooh]

I had a large mole removed from my forehead last summer. I did get nimbed in the areas surrounding the mole and it was then burned off. It did hurt a little in areas where the numbing wasn't as strong, but my doctor did give me lots of numbing since it took a whileto take. The worst part was the smell.

 

[AnnaS]

Only with a dermatologist.

I had a skin tag removed right next to my eye - numbed it and sliced it. I chickened out when he had to remove the mole next to my nose since this required injecting a needle and then slicing it (a clear one - weird). I finally went back a few years later since it always bothered me (itchy at times). Should have done it sooner. They always go out for biopsy too.

 

[rszdtrvl]

My son has a doctors appt this afternoon. He keeps picking at it, and I don't want it to get infected.

I will update what doctor says after the appt.

 

[KristaTX]

How is your son? What did the doctor say/do?

 

[Schmeck]

OP, I'm glad you took him to a doctor. It needs to be professionally removed - if, god forbid, part of it was not removed by the OTC stuff, and managed to be absorbed internally and turned malignant, it would be very, very scary, and most likely fatal.

I've had multiple moles removed, 2 melanomas, 1 precancerous. He doesn't have to watch the doctor remove it - tell him to close his freaking eyes.

 

[rszdtrvl]

Dr said that it didn't look to have anything wrong with it, other than looking infected from DS picking at it. He told us to put Neosphoren on it 4x/day.

He referred us to a dermatologist, but said that we may be on a waitlist to see the derm as he is really busy and only comes to our city once a week.

I mentioned the otc Dermatend and he said that while he has not ever heard of it - good or bad - if we wanted to try it that we could and let him know if it works. DS has always had the mole, but now that he is in high school and a teenager he is just a lot more aware and self-conscious about it.

I am going to call the Dermatologist tomorrow and see if we are on a waitlist or can get an actual appt before we start doing anything to the mole at home.

I am leaning more towards apple cider vinegar mixed with baking soda. I have done a lot more internet research today.

But all of this depends on how quickly I can get DS to the Dermatologist. If we can get an actual appt. I will forego the home remedies. If we need to be on a waitlist with a possible 2 month or so wait, then we will try the cider/vinegar.

DS is 15 years old.

 

[EmJay2001]

I have a beauty mark (that is what my mom always called it in the middle of my left cheek. I was born with it and I have always had it. I don't even really see it when I look in the mirror anymore. Honestly, it has never really crossed my mind to have it removed. Why does he think he is ugly because he has one? A lot of famous people have had one, even Abraham Lincoln had one on his right cheek.