Mole excision is a minor surgical procedure performed to remove a mole (nevus) from the skin, either for cosmetic reasons or because the mole shows suspicious changes that could indicate skin cancer. Doctors may recommend excision if a mole changes in size, shape, or color, bleeds, itches, or appears irregular under dermoscopic examination. The procedure is usually done under local anesthesia, meaning the area is numbed but the patient remains awake.

There are two main techniques. A simple excision involves cutting out the mole and a small margin of surrounding tissue, then closing the wound with stitches. A shave excision involves shaving off the mole at skin level, usually leaving a flatter scar but with a higher chance of the mole growing back if some cells remain. When cancer is suspected, the mole and a wider margin of normal skin are removed and sent to a laboratory for biopsy.