WARNING: kind of gross.
In the States, mole removal with a scalpel, esp on the face, seems so awkward and imprecise. I know, I've had it done, and it wasn't done well. Not to mention the scars left. So I've been talking about having my moles removed in Taiwan – by laser – for years now. The experience I was expecting and what I got were two different things. What I was expecting was what my aunt described as "a rubber band hitting your face and then the smell of burning flesh". Come to find out later, rubber-band-laser is used in the quick turnover clinics, where I'm guessing they don't do as detailed a job. What I got was laser-knife, which I understand requires special testing and licensing of the practitioner. Thankfully I was spared the sight of the thing, as early on, they decided to cover my eyes.
So they apply a numbing cream to your face, wait 30 minutes for the stuff to take effect, but don't let the numbing cream lull you into a false sense of painlessness. It doesn't take care of the deeper nerves, like with some of my moles. It wasn't what I would call excruciating, but it did cause me to curl my toes and clench my hands. About half, I didn't feel at all. Now, the burning smell was something else. It wasn't all the time, used occasionally when apparently she cauterized to minimize bleeding – and on that first day virtually no swelling. Just this warm, mild sunburn feeling. They taped this specialty second-skin type stuff to the sores, which I change out whenever there's been some fluid discharge. Recovery could take anywhere between 3 weeks to 3 months, keeping them covered as much as possible will cause the resulting skin to be smoother at that spot (as opposed to a small divot). Total cost for eleven moles: US$180.
